He cites Michael Jackson as his biggest musical influence, with Elvis Presley, Madonna, Prince, Usher, and Justin Timberlake also having an impact.
Derulo brings his own microphone stand on stage, which he says is "special." He doesn't trust the ones provided at the venues.
Describing his songwriting process with CHCH, Derulo said, "I begin to pen lyrics on the spot, develop rhythm and sound. I dance to the music, mumbling words. That's how I start the song, I don't use pen or paper at all."
He started as a songwriter and has produced songs for Diddy, Danity Kane, Donnie Klang, Sean Kingston, Cassie and Lil' Wayne. J.R.Rotem of Beluga Heights/Warner Bros. Records tried to sign him as a songwriter, but instead, Jason became the next Beluga Heights singer. Derulo says he and J.R. recorded six songs together the first time they met, and the chemistry was amazing.
He was born Jason Desrouleaux, but changed the spelling of his surname to "Derulo" because it was easier to pronounce.
Derulo has written songs for a number of notable recording artists, including Stat Quo, Lil Wayne, Pitbull and Birdman.
Derulo wrote his first song, "Crush on You," for a girl in his class when he was 8. He never actually sang it to her because he chickened out at the last moment.
While rehearsing for his Future History Tour in January 2012, DeRulo broke his neck and consequently had to cancel all of his tour dates.
Jason began dating singer Jordin Sparks dating in 2011 but it was his 2012 accident that brought them closer together. "She lives in Phoenix and she comes [to Miami] and takes care of me, brings me breakfast in bed and she'll go on walks with me," he told People magazine. "We've gotten closer because of my accident. It's awesome to have someone you can talk to and she's a wonderful person."
Derulo and Sparks broke up in 2014 after three years together. Their split turned bitter after she claimed he had actually leased a BMW that he said he had bought for her.
When asked by Closer magazine about his most embarrassing show moment, DeRulo replied: "On stage at Wembley I tried to take off my jacket mid-song, but got flustered and dropped the microphone."
Jason Derulo majored in musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan. "I'm singing, dancing and having the time of my life," he remembered to Billboard magazine. "Then I landed a role in Rent on Broadway. It could've been a secure job, but I would've been locked into [theater] forever."
Jason Derulo isn't up to much in the kitchen. "I'm not very good at cooking. I don't even try any more. I just eat out as much as I can. I can cook eggs, so I'm always OK at breakfast, it's just all the other meals," he admitted to UK magazine Heat. "If I could eat one food for the rest of my life... I could never do that! If I had to choose, maybe pasta with white sauce. Everyone can make that. There would always be someone to cook it for me."
Derulo has a structured pre-show routine that starts with gentle vocalizing to warm the cords. Then he moves into nasal placement for higher registers, and finishes with agility runs, something he's more diligent about before live performances than studio sessions.
Derulo is a capable amateur barber and cuts his own hair using clippers rather than scissors. He was confused as a child when he first saw a neighbor having their hair cut with scissors and a comb because it differed so much from the techniques he was used to.
In 2020, despite having sold 250 million records, fans often couldn't put Jason Derulo's face to his songs, so he used the pandemic as an opportunity to figure out social media, posting six times a day until he cracked it, eventually becoming one of the most-followed accounts on TikTok.
Derulo fasts every Friday as spiritual practice, inspired by his family's tradition of no-meat Fridays. He says it brings him closer to God.
