Fast talk with R&B star
KFC Edgefest headliner Jason Derulo doesn’t like interviews. Neither does he like fried chicken. Yet here we are, writes Shaun Bamber.
"I love New Zealand man, I love it. It's always a dope vibe when I go there man." Jason Derulo
Pop star, singer-songwriter and businessman Jason Derulo has been doing what he does best for more than a decade now – since he was a teenager in fact.
He’s sold millions of singles worldwide, racked up billions of streams and YouTube views, released four gold and platinumselling albums, and also has his own clothing line, phone apps and gym chain.
Wanna know what the hardest thing about his job is though?
‘‘Doing interviews,’’ he tells me when I ask.
Oh crap.
It’s after 10.30 at night in Los Angeles when I am eventually connected with Derulo, almost an hour after our originally scheduled interview time. (Although that’s not entirely uncommon with arrangements like this.)
I’m pencilled in for a 15-minute slot. We end up talking for nine.
Despite the late hour, Derulo sounds relaxed and is chatty enough. We’re two minutes in when he hits me with the line about not liking interviews. I’m momentarily speechless, but the 28-year-old hitmaker smoothly steps up to keep things moving.
‘‘Nah, it’s all good,’’ he laughs. ‘‘I’m just f...ing with you.’’
‘‘It is hard though,’’ he continues. ‘‘Because it’s a very big world out there man, and I really try to make sure that I’m touching fans everywhere, you know what I mean?
‘‘I really do my best to do that – I mean, you’re in New Zealand, and it’s 10.30 at night here, but I think it’s really important for me to always try to reach out and let my fans know I’m coming somewhere.’’
It’s the right thing to say of course, but not just lip-service either. Whether it’s out of genuine love and appreciation, or simply the fact that it makes good business sense, one thing you can’t accuse Derulo of is taking his fans for granted.
Scroll down his Twitter page and you’ll see he has a habit of randomly replying to fan messages – like the one from a young woman in Arizona complaining about the fact his concert there was only open to those aged 21 and over.
‘‘I’m sorry love,’’ Derulo tweeted. ‘‘I didn’t make the rules. I’m sure you’ll be 21 soon enough then they can’t tell u nothing.’’
Or the heartbroken fan lamenting her arrival at a club 20 minutes after he left. Derulo: ‘‘Aww I’m sorry I missed you.’’
It’s difficult to imagine what it must mean to those on the receiving end of these personal missives – although the videos some fans post online do help.
Yes, there’s no doubt about it – this Derulo dude is one slick operator.
‘‘I hear the ladies are beautiful down there,’’ he told one interviewer ahead of his first visit to New Zealand back in 2010.
‘‘Oh, absolutely, absolutely,’’ he drawls when I ask him if what he’d heard turned out to be true. ‘‘For sure, for sure – they’re the most beautiful women in the world.’’
But then, he’d say that everywhere he goes wouldn’t he?
‘‘Nah, actually, I don’t,’’ he insists. ‘‘I love New Zealand man, I love it. It’s always a dope vibe when I go there man – I love the people and the energy there, for real.’’
Derulo hasn’t always been this smooth however, enduring more than his fair share of mockery after attending singing, dancing and theatre lessons as a child.
Even now, having arguably attained global superstar status, he seems almost embarrassed to admit he went to college for musical theatre. Not that he feels like he had a choice.
‘‘It’s always been performing for me,’’ he says. ‘‘Acting has always been a huge part of my artistry as well. I actually went to college for musical theatre, so it was always going to be performance.
‘‘Whether it was me choosing the musical theatre route, whether it was me choosing that straight film route, whether it was me choosing music – it was always going to be one of those things.’’
There’s more to come on the acting side of things too. Having already made cameos in TV shows
and – while ‘‘fun’’, Derulo says he ‘‘won’t be working on any more of those sideshows’’ – the singer reveals he’s currently working on his own film project.
It’s at about this point that our interview is rather abruptly brought to an end – time for one more question.
So, given that he’s travelling all the way down to New Zealand to headline a festival sponsored by KFC, I have to ask: What is Jason Derulo’s favourite fast food?
‘‘My favourite fast food? S..., I’m a vegan now man, but it used to be pizza,’’ he laughs.
There’s a pause as I digest this, but then something – maybe it’s instinct, some sixth sense, or maybe just someone holding a sign up in front of him saying, ‘It’s sponsored by fried chicken man!’ – prompts Derulo to add, ‘‘And chicken wings. But I gotta find a new snack’’.
Told you this guy was slick.
❚ KFC Edgefest visits Christchurch on November 3, Wellington on November 4 and Auckland on November 5.