Jason Derulo at the Zenith Villette in Paris.
King of pop, performance, and for one night, Paris.
artwork by Tanaya Vohra.
Jason Derulo was my childhood idol. His eponymous 2010 record was the first CD I bought with my hard-earned car-washing money. His hit single “In My Head” was the first song I learned all the words to. Needless to say, when I found out that Derulo was going on tour for the first time since the pandemic to promote Nu King, his newest album since 2015, my tickets were booked without a second thought.
The Florida-born Haitian national first came to stardom amongst the crop of well-rounded performers who entered the mainstream music scene just before the 2010s. Their signature sound blended R&B melodies with more upbeat Pop rhythms, normally backed by choreography-heavy music videos in which stars would don the classic, MJ-inspired aviators and fedora. Derulo, with his incredible vocal range and silky smooth footwork, fit right in.
It was this era of music that I was the most excited to hear live, and boy did he deliver. Derulo’s set was masterfully ordered and executed, from classics like “Ridin’ Solo” and “Whatcha Say,” to fan favorite collabs like “Talk Dirty” and “Swalla.” Some songs were followed by an interlude in which Derulo really got to show off his vocal chops, serenading us with pitch-perfect runs that so few artists nowadays could do live without an autotuned mic. Other songs were remixed into European dance and house hits, much to the joy of the club-loving French audience. Derulo also happens to have a number of hit collabs with various French artists, one of which is pop sensation Amir who joined Derulo on stage to perform their hit collab “Il y a.” An inarguable highlight, however, was Derulo’s performance of his song “Ayo Girl,” a special tribute to Haiti, but more importantly, to the late French-Haitian artist Mikaben, his collaborator on the song who passed away unexpectedly in 2022.
In more recent years, Derulo has transitioned away from his R&B roots to create a flurry of undeniable radio (and TikTok) hits, bringing criticism from long-term fans, who believe Derulo succumbed to social media virality. Fortunately, Derulo hasn’t let these opinions get under his skin, asking the audience halfway through his set if we followed him on TikTok. Amid a chorus of cheers, he performed some of his most popular singles from the past few years—“Take You Dancing,” “Love Not War,” and “Savage Love”—to which every fan, both new and old, could not help but dance. For me, that was the true measure of success for these songs; in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with everyone locked up at home, Derulo released songs that brought a smile to people’s faces and encouraged them to dance.
As if all of this wasn’t enough, Parisian fans got another special treat in the form of the internationally renowned Les Twins, professional dancers I came to know through their performances in the Step Up movies. Larry and Laurent Bourgeois took to the stage during “Wiggle,” one of the set’s first songs, and didn’t let their intensity drop for a second. Derulo, an accomplished dancer as well, found himself in excellent company, sliding in and out of the groove, never dropping a beat.
With over a decade of experience in show business, Derulo is by far one of the most amazing performers I have ever watched. From costume changes to fire cannons, choreography to light display, he put on a proper show that none could be disappointed with. During the performance, Derulo also revealed that he’d remained in relative hiatus for so long due to a series of creative disputes with his management. He explained that he had finally left the label and was excited to begin another chapter of his career. If this concert was any indication of this pivot, Derulo fans should be on the edge of their seats for whatever is coming next.
edited by Aidan Burt.
artwork by Tanaya Vohra.