RISING STAR
David Friend has five things you need to know about R&B singer Daniel Caesar, who is up for two Grammys.
1 Gospel roots
Caesar, 22, grew up in a Christian household rich with worship songs. His father Norwill Simmonds is a gospel singer with two albums of his own available online. Caesar has peppered his music with spiritual flavour over the years, particularly on rousing slow jams like We Find Love and Blessed, which both incorporate choral vocals. His live shows carry even stronger elements of the church, with a live choir and organist often backing him up.
2 Troubled teen
Caesar has spoken openly about a period in his teenage years that briefly landed him in hard times. After getting expelled from private school and a falling-out with his father, he decided to leave Oshawa, Ont., for Toronto, where he occasionally slept on park benches when a friend’s couch wasn’t available. His aptly named 2014 EP Praise Break spends time exploring this period when he distanced himself from his past. Caesar has since mended ties with his family, though he stayed in Toronto.
3 ‘Freudian’ principles
While his two EPs were widely seen as promising, the August release of his debut full-length album Freudian ratcheted up expectations. Produced by Toronto duo Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans — who’ve worked with Eminem, Drake and Nicki Minaj — the album instantly elevated awareness of his talent. Caesar was selected as Apple Music’s Up Next artist, which helped Freudian debut at No. 25 on the Billboard albums chart. He has accomplished these feats as an independent artist without the backing of a major record label.
4 ‘Shook’ by his peers
Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Chris Martin and Erykah Badu have all praised the newcomer. Caesar was particularly smitten with Wonder’s support. “He came in and asked to hear (my), song again. And that was probably the craziest part to see Stevie Wonder vibe out to a song I wrote,” he said in an interview earlier this year. “I was very shook. … I’ll never forget that moment.”
5 Hot ticket
Capping off a stellar year, Caesar booked a show at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall, not far from where he lives. Tickets sold out quickly, so they added a second show, and then a third. He ended up booked for five concerts. Crowds at his Toronto shows were notably boisterous, considering that Caesar is merely getting his career started. The singer returned the love by marching out surprise guests every night, including Canadian artists Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Charlotte Day Wilson and R&B veteran Melanie Fiona.