Enter Jason Derülo. You may recognize him as the artist behind the Billboard-topping single, “Whatcha Say.” Read this review again in six months, and you and the whole world will know exactly why Derülo is going to be huge.
First, he collaborated with the great Imogen Heap to record the aforementioned song, which samples heavily from Heap’s own “Hide and Seek.” It’s a beautiful pop-meets-R&B synergistic experience and more than 2 million digital copies of the song have already been sold. Dare I predict stardom for Derülo and too-long-in-the-shadows Heap?
Second, his songs are instantly addictive, melodically rich and unforgettable in every way. No wonder 93.3 FLZ plays “In My Head” every 15 minutes.
Third, he convinces us that all those boy bands we grew up shamefully listening to with our Girl Scout friends actually had something, and that we shouldn’t be embarrassed about belting out a Backstreet Boys chorus or two even if we’re in our mid-20s. Maybe an actual melody, a legitimate set of pipes, an unapologetically glossy background track, and hip-shakin’ choreography are the way to go.
So next time you cringe about your time as an *NSYNC devotee, flip on the radio and you’ll see just how many people are loving pop/R&B hybrids. Emerging artists like Jason Derülo are the jumper cables to the battery of pop music. (Jason Derülo is due out March 2 via Beluga Heights)
