Jason Derulo Celebrates The End Of An Era With ‘The Last Dance (Part 1)’

Jason Derulo’s The Last Dance (Part 1)

Gary Corr

Last week, Jason Derulo posted a video on Instagram for his new album, The Last Dance, with the caption: “#TheLastDance January 23rd my last album is done!”

This prompted his 40 million followers and fanbase to ponder what exactly the pop singer meant by his last album. Suddenly, the comments were flooded with messages from Derulo’s fans, questioning what he meant by that statement. Fearing the worst, many expressed how much his music meant to them, how loved he is, and how he’s changed their lives.

Derulo has seen some of the messages and is honored to have played a part in his fans’ lives. Many of whom wrote they’ve been there with him since his debut in 2009 with “Whatcha Say.” He’s created multiple memorable hit songs throughout his 17-year+ career that have become part of people’s lives, like “Marry Me,” used for marriage proposals, “Riding Solo” helped fans get over a breakup, and even “Talk Dirty” became fans’ club anthem.

“Those kinds of moments are my favorite, because the humble beginnings of a song can touch so many lives,” Derulo says over Zoom from London. “Just to be a small part of people’s lives is pretty special. It’s pretty incredible to me because I was a young dreamer, and this life seemed so far-fetched. Now, I’m living my dream. Nothing beats that.”

Derulo then clarifies what he meant by his last album. He isn’t quitting music, but moving into a new chapter of his music career. The Jason Derulo that many have known and loved for a long time has now evolved into a new artist.

“This statement is basically saying that this era is finished and a new one is beginning,” he explains. “That ‘Jason Derulo’ has morphed throughout the years since my first album. You remember the top hat and dress shirts, then my ‘Talk Dirty’ era, 2016 era, then ‘the Swalla’ era with the dreads. I’ve lived quite a few lives. Even with social media and that shift, I was still doing a lot of comedy and those kinds of things. It’s interesting how, as you grow as a man, the music does the same thing.”

He’ll tell you he’s not the same man he was ten years ago, six years ago during the pandemic, or even two years ago when he released Nu King. His taste and sense of style have even changed, revealing that he dresses differently, prefers uncommon restaurants, and no longer has interests in certain clubs or sports.

“It’s a change within my life as a man, and therefore, my artistry is going to change significantly,” he admits.

The Last Dance (Part 1), out today, marks a pivotal moment in his career, with the 8 tracks beautifully capturing the essence of his past. Known for his blend of pop, dance, and global influences, Derulo is all about moving and living in the moment, with each song carrying that “feel good” energy. His main track, “Sexy For Me,” is exactly what the title says – a very sexy song, one that reminds him of his past music.

“It’s interesting that 2016 is such a thing right now on social media, right?” he reflects. “The song, ‘Sexy for Me, feels so nostalgic of that time period, and my use of horns. I love me a good horn, you know. It really reminds me of that time– that feel-good kind of vibe.”’

The album also has a callback to Derulo’s style of interpolating older songs and giving them a fresh take for a new generation. His very first single, “Whatcha Say,” sampled Imogen Heap’s 2005 song “Hide And Seek,” giving the slow, soft song new life with a pop and R&B spin. In his latest album, he interpolates Avril Lavigne’s 2002 hit, “Complicated,” as a pop duet with Romanian singer Alida, filled with Afro house beats and soft tempos.

“That was exactly the goal – to try to capture that same magic by utilizing something that inspired me,” he says. “It’s having something I love and then putting my life story on top of it, and then meshing up these worlds. I’m into Afro beats and Afro house music right now, and to mesh ‘Complicated,’ which is far from that, but a song that was a big part of my childhood, was really fun to do.”

While Part 1 is a celebration of Derulo’s former self, Part 2, which he plans to release sometime this year, will be a new introduction to the man he’s become. So much has happened to the multi-hyphenate over the past few years, both professionally and personally, that has shaped his point of view and goals.

Professionally, aside from writing, producing, and making hit music, Derulo has also acted and hosted on television and in films, created fashion, written a motivational book, and become one of the most popular content creators on TikTok and multiple social media platforms. He is constantly doing something and reinventing himself, which he says is a way to “keep things fresh and keep people guessing.”

“It’s also a ‘by any means necessary’ approach, because you can try one thing and it doesn’t work – but I’m relentless,” he chuckles. “I’m a dog at heart. I will stop at nothing to give the people what they want. It’s a lot of trial and error, but you have to try a lot of things. You have to fail and fall on your face to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, but you have to keep falling.”

It’s this resilience and versatility that have helped him survive and thrive in the ever-changing music industry, making him a household name in pop music.

“It’s interesting, because I always feel it in my gut when a huge moment is coming,” he says. “I’ve been through it so many times where people will count me out, or it’s not necessarily in the conversation anymore until I appear, because I am relentless. I’m going to try anything and everything to entertain people. At the end of the day, that’s what I live to do. That’s what I was born to do – entertain people. So, if you don’t like this – cool. How about this? All right – cool. I try this until it pops.”

In 2021, a huge moment did arrive in his personal life: he became a father. And, like many artists, becoming a father has affected his perspective on life and also on music.

“Fatherhood has changed me for the next era because I have such a strong desire to impact the world in a positive way,” he shares. “I have such a strong desire to heal people with my music. It’s a real burning desire that I feel I’ve done in my past, but I want to do it in a different way in this next chapter. So I’m really looking forward to that, and my son is definitely a large part of it. When I leave this earth, I want to have made a positive impact and try to leave [this world] better than when I was here.”

He reflects on his past goals when he first started in the music industry over 20 years ago, wanting his music to impact the world and reach as many people as possible. He wanted to be a household name, and he did achieve it. Now, he just wants to make sure that his growth as a man is exemplified in his music.

“My life story and the things I’ve gone through – all the negative and positive things, I’ve learned from those things and can either decide to feel sorry for myself or pick myself up by the bootstraps,” he notes. “Every single time that life knocks me down, I’ve always lifted myself back up and come back even stronger. Life has a way of teaching us the best lessons.”

Now, Derulo prepares for The Last Dance World Tour, which kicks off on January 29 in the UK and then continues throughout Europe. He plans to announce more locations in the spring, which he says may include North America. The World Tour is set to be a celebration of every era of Derulo’s career, from his earliest hits to what is next.

“I think if you can come out and see the tour, you will get a glimpse of what the next chapter will look like, because the show is exactly who I want to be tomorrow,” he says excitedly. “Even if you can’t, just catch a glimpse of it online because it’s really something special. I’ve always had the right heart and mindset, but I just didn’t have all the resources to create the level of show I’ve wanted for a long time. I believe this tour is going to be unbelievable because when you can marry passion, hard work, and resources together, the sky is the limit.”

Because Derulo has worked and collaborated with so many artists from all over the world, including Little Mix, BTS, Lay Zhang, Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, Sia, Sofia Reyes, and more, there could be some special guests along the way.

“Depending on the city, you never know who might show up,” he comments. “I’m totally open to that. I always love a good surprise, especially inviting people who are from the region I’m going to. I always think that’s really cool in terms of what to expect.”

His eyes light up when he starts talking about the tour, excited to showcase his amazing dancers (“I have some of the best dancers on the planet with me. We’ve been in the trenches, and the level of dance has gone up 20-fold!”) and this musical journey celebrating his long career.

“It’s a very high-energy show that takes you on this roller coaster ride,” he exclaims. “There’s a lot of ups and emotional moments, as well as sexy and wow moments. People will not be at the edge of their seats; they’ll be out of their seats the entire time.”

He’s thrilled to relive his music, as he’s had one of the most illustrious careers in pop music, constantly and consistently churning out hit after hit. He’s enjoyed seeing his fans come to the show, then remembering some of the songs they haven’t heard in so long, feeling nostalgic for that era.

“That’s the most common comment that people make because there are just so many records that people forgot that they knew,” he laughs. “Those songs are songs that people know because of the support from the fans.”

He hopes his fans will enjoy The Last Dance (Part 1), feel connected to his music over the past 17 years, and reminisce about the feeling it evoked. Then, when the time is ready for Part 2, they’ll be ready to meet the new version of Jason Derulo.

“I would say that [former] era [of my life] would be called the ‘Feel Good’ era,” Derulo says, with a relaxed smile. “That’s it in a nutshell. My next era will be something totally different.”

Jason Derulo’s The Last Dance (Part 1) is available now on all streaming platforms.