by In Europe for his “Nu King” world tour, Jason Derulo had the unusual day off on Friday – sort of.
Sitting in an airy hotel room in Vienna, the dedicated musician’s down time would be spent on stage filming at the venue for a documentary concert series being developed. Dressed in a black baseball hat, silver chains, a black concert T-shirt and jeans, Derulo looked relaxed although a bit exhausted. One month into his tour, being on the road is a test of endurance.
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“It’s very difficult. It is not very humane to travel like this. My show is very lively, high energy and taxing on the body. But it’s very satisfying because I get to see the fans up close and personal,” said the multi-platinum artist.
People may feel like they already know him, given his collaborations with Michael Buble, Nicki Minaj, 2 Chainz, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Meghan Trainor, YoungBoy and other talent. In addition to Derulo’s 58.8 million followers on TikTok, millions are laughing at a viral meme of him falling down the stairs of the Met Gala red carpet that continues to resurface, as it has in recent years. The latest version happened after this month’s Oscars with “Anatomy of a Fall” actress Sandra Hüller pushing it. That never happened, and Derulo never fell down the stairs. But we will come back to that later.
What is happening is a residency at The Voltaire at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas that starts in mid-May. Truth be told, “residency in Vegas is a lot easier than what I’m doing right now by the way [laughs]. This is about travel. Vegas is a 30 minute flight – that’s nothing. I will travel, for sure.”
Regarding what he put together for the “Nu King” tour, looking out, Derulo said, “Looking at seven cheeses next to me, we just give everything. You have to take everything with you, because you don’t want to leave anything behind. I find things on the road too.”
At each stop, a rider is set up with small trees, plants, rugs and plenty of raw fruit and vegetables, thanks to a team of 10 who cook for everyone. “I want to eat food that is alive and not just the meats,” he said.
His fashion choices are also selective, as in “one in one. I’m not really wearing things that you would recognize. I can’t wear something that someone might say, ‘Oh, I went to this store and got it’. I have different designers who do things for me. Philipp Plein has done special things for me. I also wear a lot of boutique items sourced by stylists in London, Paris and Los Angeles.”
What Derulo misses most about Los Angeles is his grandson Jason King, and recording too. Known for his strong work ethic, Derulo said his passion comes from having big dreams and high expectations. “There is never any stopping, because there is never a finish line. The finish line keeps moving. It’s like running a race and thinking, ‘I’m almost there. Why am I not getting closer?’”
In the book he released last year — “Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules to Live Your Dream” — he details the never-ending cycle that creates creativity. Just as a gymnast strives to achieve the body of their dreams, they must also maintain it, he said. “Even when I had the best body I’ve ever had, I still found things that made me think, ‘Dancing, I need to work on this and this.’ It’s a bit of human nature, for sure, and I’m a bit more extreme than the average person.”
His non-profit, Just for You Foundation, works in Haiti, where Derulo has two schools. Regarding the current turmoil, the musician, whose parents are Haitian, said, “What’s going on now is very difficult, so we’ll see when I can make it over there. [again]. I’m not sure how much the schools are still able to operate, to be honest.”
The Derulo falling meme is a much lighter topic. He can’t think of another meme with that longevity, the whole thing is “funny. I have never fallen in my life. I haven’t fallen – I’m too ready.”
When asked about the recent increased public discussion about Photoshopping and deep fakes, he said, “The meme is the meme. I’m not going to put too much weight on that. It’s a joke. I’m definitely one to take a joke,” he said.
“In terms of Photoshop in general, I think Photoshop can be very dangerous. But AI is much more dangerous, because it can take a person’s likeness and recreate it and doctor their voice. So many things can happen with that technology. That is the real concern. I have seen a video where a young girl was asking her parents to send some money to these guys, because she said she was kidnapped. It wasn’t her video at all.”
When asked why he is so popular on TikTok, Derulo said that he is “very free” with what he posts. Trying to figure out social media before the pandemic, Derulo promised himself he would post at least six times a day. That quote meant he had to post anything and everything, but the result of that exercise was posting videos of things that happen in his life and the funny time that happens on length. I recreate it for the people to see. We all love to laugh.”
The performer often seeks the help of his audience. During a recent concert, he created a set by telling the audience that he was going to fake having to excuse himself to use the bathroom while singing “Spicy Margarita” and asked them to boo. After creating a TikTok video, the clip was picked up by the celebrity-centric site TMZ and was dominated by the “boos” factor, prompting its fans to jump to its defense. “But that’s the world I live in. Social media has been a great way to be creative within my everyday life.”
Taking a more serious turn, Derulo said that “Nu King” is his “most emotional, most vulnerable and adult” album. I attribute that to growing up as a man. I have been through a lot in my life. But I also speak differently now and I feel differently. Every part of my life has grown and music has not changed.”
Surely the “U+I” people would connect with him as he had in the writing process, Derulo said, “Having the audience sing along with me is the greatest feeling in the world. When you’re writing these songs, it’s usually like a unique therapy. Ask them to sing that with me and join in [makes you think] ‘Damnach. I’m not the only one who feels this way.’ We all go through very similar things.”
Now the man he always dreamed of being as a 10-year-old, Derulo said, “I’m stepping into that vision now in 2024. That’s a big part of the album title. My son’s name is also Jason King and he is also ‘Nu King’.”
Derulo’s message to the world is, “Life is short. I would use my time and energy for two things – serving others and making yourself happy. Whatever makes you happy – you should do that. Money will follow. The needs will follow but do the things you love to do. Life will pass you by in the blink of an eye.
“My greatest gift is that I truly live in the moment and enjoy life. I’m pushing every ounce of this thing, and I’d love for everyone to do the same.”
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