JASON DERULO: BREAKING MY NECK LED TO MY BIGGEST SUCCESS

Summary

Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: Jason Derulo: Breaking My Neck Led to My Biggest Success
Release Date: January 15, 2025
Host: Jamie Lang
Guest: Jason Derulo

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Great Company with Jamie Laing, host Jamie Lang engages in an in-depth conversation with the multi-talented artist and entrepreneur, Jason Derulo. The discussion delves into Jason's journey from his early passion for music to overcoming significant life challenges, ultimately leading to his greatest successes.

---

Early Life and Songwriting Beginnings

Jason Derulo opens up about his unconventional start in music, beginning as a young songwriter.

• First Song Creation:
  [08:50] Jamie Lang: "What was the song you wrote when you were eight?"
  [08:52] Jason Derulo: "It's called Crush on You. Yeah. And it was for this girl in my class, Amy Hume."

• Struggles with Memory:
  [07:55] Jason Derulo: "I could never remember any fucking songs. So I loved to sing, but I couldn't remember songs. So I got a knack for creating melody and creating words."

Jason's inability to remember others' lyrics pushed him to develop his unique songwriting skills, fostering his creativity from a young age.

---

Creative Process and Musical Philosophy

Jason discusses his approach to creating music, emphasizing originality over chasing trends.

• Filling Voids vs. Following Trends:
  [10:32] Jason Derulo: "I try to make things that don't exist. I try to fill voids."

• Trusting His Gut:
  [12:45] Jamie Lang: "But you're trusting your gut. That's the biggest thing."
  [12:47] Jason Derulo: "Yeah."

Jason contrasts his method with others who follow current trends, highlighting his commitment to authentic and innovative music creation.

---

Overcoming Challenges: The Neck Injury

A pivotal moment in Jason's life was a severe neck injury that threatened his burgeoning career.

• Incident Description:
  [33:14] Jason Derulo: "I slipped on one and I bailed. Fell on my head, and I heard a crack... the doctor said, 'you have a hangman's break.'"

• Recovery and Resilience:
  [37:00] Jason Derulo: "I created a routine for myself... and that's when I made my most successful album, which had six platinum songs on it."

This accident not only halted his tour but also became the catalyst for his most successful period, demonstrating his resilience and dedication.

---

Principles for Success

Jason shares the foundational principles that guided him to success, which he later expanded upon in his book.

• Commitment and Intensity:
  [42:00] Jason Derulo: "It's all in what you put into it. It all comes down to the hours and then the intensity of those hours."

• Continuous Self-Competition:
  [43:00] Jason Derulo: "I have to compete against the young me... Success is rented. You can never own it."

Jason emphasizes the importance of relentless work ethic and constantly striving to outdo one's previous self.

---

Personal Life and Future Aspirations

The conversation also touches on Jason's personal experiences, including fatherhood and maintaining relationships amidst a demanding career.

• Impact of Fatherhood:
  [47:22] Jason Derulo: "The only person that matters the most is my son... It brought me closer to my parents and it's completely rocked my world."

• Balancing Work and Personal Life:
  [51:19] Jason Derulo: "I'm so asphyxiated with my craft, my work... my son saying, 'you forgot this.'"

Jason reflects on the challenges of balancing his professional ambitions with his responsibilities as a father, highlighting his commitment to being present for his family.

---

Rapid-Fire Questions

In the concluding segment, Jamie poses a series of quick questions to Jason, revealing more personal insights.

1. Dream Collaboration:
   [56:58] Jason Derulo: "Definitely Michael Jackson. Alive? I've really wanted to work with Sia... a song with her coming out in January."

2. Cheer-Up Phrase:
   [57:54] Jason Derulo: "That's my dog."
   This phrase between Jason and his son serves as a source of mutual encouragement and positivity.

3. Best Compliment:
   [58:55] Jason Derulo: "When somebody tells me that they have been affected by my music in their lives."

4. Biggest Fear:
   [59:45] Jason Derulo: "That I don't have an off button."

5. Last Time He Cried:
   [60:28] Jason Derulo: "Leaving my son. I knew I was going to be leaving for a couple of weeks and I wasn't going to see him for a while."

6. Something He Can't Let Go Of:
   [60:49] Jason Derulo: "Having a cocktail... mudLorded orange with tequila."

7. Turn-Off:
   [62:13] Jason Derulo: "A liar. I can't stand a liar, especially if the person is close to me."

8. Turn-On:
   [62:30] Jason Derulo: "A woman that can cook or is even willing to cook."

9. What He Likes Most About Himself:
   [63:33] Jason Derulo: "I am a really positive person. I'm always a glass full kind of guy."

10. Favorite Lyric He's Written:
    [64:03] Jason Derulo: "But your booty don't need explaining."

---

Conclusion

Jamie and Producer Jemima wrap up the episode by expressing their admiration for Jason's candidness and resilience. They encourage listeners to engage with the podcast by submitting questions for potential bonus episodes.

---

Key Takeaways

• Resilience and Routine: Jason's ability to establish a disciplined routine post-injury was crucial to his subsequent success.
• Authentic Creativity: Emphasizing originality over trend-following has been a cornerstone of Jason's musical philosophy.
• Balancing Success with Personal Life: Despite immense professional achievements, Jason remains deeply committed to his family and personal growth.
• Principles for Success: Dedication, intense work ethic, and continuous self-improvement are vital for sustained success.

---

Notable Quotes

• [07:34] Jason Derulo: "When you create music and feel like the melody is good, what does it make you feel?"
• [16:40] Jason Derulo: "I'm trying to figure out why I would stop at the edge of glory. What are you doing?"
• [39:22] Jason Derulo: "When a door shuts, there's always a window."
• [41:39] Jason Derulo: "There's not one thing, there are multiple principles."
• [46:48] Jason Derulo: "The social media business became like a whole business... one of the most lucrative things I've ever done."
• [55:36] Jason Derulo: "I've always been like that since I was a kid."

---

This episode offers a profound look into Jason Derulo's life, blending his artistic journey with personal anecdotes. Listeners gain insight into the challenges he faced, the principles that drive his success, and the personal values that keep him grounded amidst fame.

Transcript

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[Jason Derulo]

What is Dax, are you tracking all.

[Jamie Lang]

Our cars on Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices? Yes, Kristen, yes, I am.

[Jemima]

Well, I've been looking for my phone for.

[Jamie Lang]

In dax's domain we see all.

[Jason Derulo]

So we always know what our cars are worth.

[Jamie Lang]

All of them? All of them. Value surge trucks up 3.9%.

[Jason Derulo]

That's a great offer.

[Jamie Lang]

I know. Sell. Sell. Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Jemima]

$45 up front payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees, extra Speed slower above 40 gigabytes ET.

[Jason Derulo]

Details, foreign.

[Jamie Lang]

My name is Jamie Lang and this is great company. Well, Jemima, hello. Producer Jemima, hello.

[Producer Jemima]

Jamie Lang.

[Jamie Lang]

Hello, hello, hello.

[Producer Jemima]

I'm excited.

[Jamie Lang]

Oh, for what?

[Producer Jemima]

Our guest today. Our show welcome to you about life and life 2025. Gonna be feeling alive.

[Jamie Lang]

Feeling alive. Hey, by the way, before I start, I want to ask.

[Producer Jemima]

I'm gonna thrive.

[Jamie Lang]

I'm gonna thrive. I want to ask our listeners something.

[Producer Jemima]

By the way, high five.

[Jamie Lang]

Are you still rhyming things?

[Producer Jemima]

That's it.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, that's good.

[Producer Jemima]

What you asking the listeners?

[Jamie Lang]

So we obviously do our episode, which comes out every single Wednesday, and it's a beautiful episode with a guest and we do it that way. You and I have this chat at the top. So if you're new to this podcast, you're wondering who we are. I'm Jamie. I'm the host and you're my producer, Jemima.

[Producer Jemima]

Hello.

[Jamie Lang]

And we talk about things that you would. How you edit and the show and different things like that, which we have a great big audience and we love you guys who listen to this show and I thought it could be fun is may we start thinking about a bonus episode and we want to know from you, if we were to do a bonus episode, would you be interested in doing listeners questions? So you can send in some questions, some messages, whatever it is, and we can talk them out and riff them out.

[Producer Jemima]

What kind of questions do you think people might have?

[Jamie Lang]

Oh my God. I ask questions about a guess or about life or about things that you've learned or about business or about happiness or about anything. You could ask anything.

[Producer Jemima]

Oh, real open thought forum.

[Jamie Lang]

An open forum for you and for me. Maybe they want to know about how to produce a podcast. Maybe they want to know about how editing or booking guests work. Anything at all. We want to put it onto the show as a bonus episode.

[Producer Jemima]

I love that.

[Jamie Lang]

So if you do think this is a good idea, please get in touch in our DMs at Great Company Podcast or you can send us an email. Great companyamproductions.co.uk, we'd love to hear from you. That's what I wanted to say before we start.

[Producer Jemima]

Can we talk about the guest now? Because I'm so excited.

[Jamie Lang]

Ken. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Jason Derulo.

[Producer Jemima]

Jason Derulo. I don't think I realized how much I love this man's music until I was like going through and I was like, love, love, love, love.

[Jamie Lang]

Ah, Jason Derulo. So much of his songs are incredible. Not only that he's. He's a really sort of incredible entrepreneur.

[Producer Jemima]

Businessman, 100% like TikTok. I. I remember in lockdown he was, he was all over TikTok before anyone else. And then he like used songs, sampled songs with like Savage.

[Jamie Lang]

He's got over 50 million followers. Tok Social media is huge. He's a. His songs that he's sung of just so many. He's incredible. But there's that side of him which is amazing, but also there's a side of him which is a little bit darker and you know, he struggled with weight and confidence and different things like that and loads of different things. So hopefully today we're going to open up. Jason drew like a little book and he's going to reveal everything to us.

[Producer Jemima]

I can't wait. He also had an insane accident.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, he broke his back.

[Producer Jemima]

Yeah, I did not know that.

[Jamie Lang]

So we're chat to him about that, which I'm very excited.

[Producer Jemima]

I can't wait. I cannot wait.

[Jamie Lang]

Do you think I can say to him, jason Derulo, I want you to. I don't think I can. He'll probably hate it, so I'm not going to do it. Maybe I will. Let's see what happens.

[Producer Jemima]

I think more people should. I think more. I think, honestly, I think it's a really smart way to, like, market yourself, because you say Jason Derulo and everyone goes, jason Derulo. Like, everyone knows it.

[Jamie Lang]

For good pipes, Jemima. Thanks.

[Producer Jemima]

I sing the theme.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah. So Jemima does sing the theme tune.

[Producer Jemima]

Great Company.

[Jamie Lang]

That's not our theme tune, but it.

[Producer Jemima]

Could be.

[Jamie Lang]

Great Company.

[Producer Jemima]

Should we get on with it?

[Jamie Lang]

Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, we're very excited for this. If you haven't subscribed to the show already, please do. If you haven't checked out our social media and our YouTube, please do that as well. Great Company podcast. Let's get ready for this. Here we go. Welcome to Great Company. It's Jason Derulo.

[Jason Derulo]

Hey, what's up, people? I'm Jason Derulo, and I'm Great Company.

[Jamie Lang]

People know you just for putting your name in the song.

[Jason Derulo]

Mm.

[Jamie Lang]

You like that or you no like it? No, no, no.

[Jason Derulo]

I don't dislike it, but it's not like I get it, you know, I get it. Like, it can be. It can be a little annoying sometimes.

[Jamie Lang]

I get it.

[Jason Derulo]

It's the worst shit in the world.

[Jamie Lang]

Somebody just like, Jason. I'm just like, shut the up the up, Jason. How's your. How's your energy? How's your jet lag? How's those kind of things?

[Jason Derulo]

I'm good, man. I'm actually. I'm feeling good. I have had two hours of sleep good. You know what I'm saying? So I'm feeling very energized.

[Jamie Lang]

Do you survive. How many hours of sleep do you think you get a night, man?

[Jason Derulo]

Not enough. On average, I would say about four, which I know is really terrible, and I'm actively working on trying to fix that.

[Jamie Lang]

Is that because your mind is always thinking, or is it because you just generally just don't. You're always.

[Jason Derulo]

It's just not enough time in a day, man. It really is. Just not enough time in a day. I'm trying to juggle businesses. I'm trying to juggle music, recording shows and being a dad, you know, all at the same time. So it's just. It's just a lot. Also been building a house for the last three years on top of all the other fuckery.

[Jamie Lang]

There's the guy who founded Levi's, right? He always says do one thing and do one thing well. I do a lot of things and do a lot of things badly as well. You do a lot of things really well.

[Jason Derulo]

Right?

[Jamie Lang]

You really do, man. Like, I said it to you before we sat down, Jemima, who's sitting over here, who's my producer, going through the shit that you've been. Dude, it's.

[Jason Derulo]

It's come.

[Jamie Lang]

If I'm wrong, you've sold 250 million singles worldwide. That is a shitload.

[Jason Derulo]

That's a crazy amount, dude.

[Jamie Lang]

It's a crazy amount.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And you were so young going in. You were. You were writing songs at 8 years old.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And you would. You had this obsession to do it, and you were just writing these songs and going for it. If you don't quite know yourself, because we don't as kids, right. We don't really know ourselves, especially our teens, especially our 20s. We have no fricking clue. We're trying to be everyone and everything. How do you even write music or create when you don't even know who you are?

[Jason Derulo]

Well, my story was kind of interesting because I could never remember any fucking songs. So I loved to sing, but, like, I couldn't remember songs. Like, it was, like, very hard for me to remember lyrics and shit. So, like, I'd start singing a song and then forget the lyrics, and then I'd just start singing anything. So I'll just start freestyling. And that became, like, a thing that I just did, just sing anything, because I just wanted to sing something, but I just couldn't remember the people's lyrics. So I think naturally I. I got a knack for creating melody and creating words because I couldn't remember anybody else's. And it wasn't until I decided to sit down one day and actually write a song that I knew how much fun it could be. But 8 years old was the first song that I made.

[Jamie Lang]

What was the song you wrote when you were eight?

[Jason Derulo]

It's called Crush on youn. Yeah. And it was for this girl in my class, Amy Hume. Sat in front of me. She had curly blonde hair. And I was. I was into it. And I didn't have no money. I didn't have nothing to give to her. So I was like, I'm a writer, a song. And, yeah, that started the journey of songwriting.

[Jamie Lang]

Can you remember that song?

[Jason Derulo]

Of course.

[Jamie Lang]

Come on. Come on a little bit.

[Jason Derulo]

247 days of the week My mind is on you and it's getting to me I got a crush on you I got a crush on you thank y'all. Thank you.

[Jamie Lang]

You were eight. That is wild.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, man. I remember my brother brought me to his high school and he made me sing that song for every single girl he knew and every single teacher he had at this high school, Hollywood Hills High School. I'll never forget that day. But yeah, that started the journey of songwriting, man. And from there, when I was 16, I got my first writing placement. Amazing. And that just kind of kick started everything.

[Jamie Lang]

When you're writing songs and you're creating music, what does it do to your cause? I mean, you know, your new single, what Makes Me Happy? We were listening to Upstairs and everyone was vibing to it, and you seem to know what people want, and you can create a vibe in so many different ways. When you're creating a song and you feel like the melody is good and you can feel it within you, what does it make you feel?

[Jason Derulo]

I don't know what the fuck people want.

[Jamie Lang]

You get it right, but you get it right.

[Jason Derulo]

I really, honestly, I just try to. I try to make things that don't exist. I try to fill voids. And that really works for me. I think a lot of people chase sounds, they chase trending kind of vibe. And for me, I'm. I'm chasing what's not there, you know, like something interesting, like what is needed, what is the void. And the new song with Make Me Happy, I really just wanted to create a tonic for the world that, you know, it was like so much crazy shit going on. So I wanted to formulate some sort of tonic for people and Make Me Happy is what came out, you know, And I just felt like this song was such a feel good record. The vibe of the beat is just so feel good and feels really joyful. So I thought that would be the perfect kind of subject matter to go with that. So much so that I instantly called Make a Wish and I was like, listen, like, I would love to, like, work with you guys and. And do something together with this song. I feel like, you know, when I think of happiness, nobody in the world can make the most deserving kids happier than you guys make them. So, like, let's do something together. So we're doing, like, you know, so many different activations together where we try to make as many wishes come true in the shortest amount of time. And that stemmed from making this song that I didn't even know that was inside of me. So, you know, it's all all about me trying to feel some sort of void. Like when I made trumpets, right? Like, what the fuck Sounded like trumpets, you know what I'm saying? Like what? Yeah, what the fuck? Sounded like Talk Dirty, you know what I'm saying? Like, those. Those songs are just, like, experimental and experiments that. Who the fuck knows people are going to like that shit. Like, you know what I'm saying? But, like, I.

[Jamie Lang]

But you're trusting your gut. That's the biggest thing.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

And I think the biggest problem I see, I have a Radio 1 show, right. That I do. And I see it with certain artists at the moment especially, okay, Country Out. You know, Beyonce does her country, and. And that feels like a vibe. So everyone.

[Jason Derulo]

Instantly.

[Jamie Lang]

Instantly, man.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. And that's the last thing that I want to do.

[Jamie Lang]

You were going, it's the last thing.

[Jason Derulo]

That I want to. That's the last thing that I want to do. And, like, so. So much so that actually, when I created Make Me Happy, it had a country feel to it, and there was all sorts of country tidbits in the song that I ended up taking out because of the craze of country. So it actually started off as a country vibe, and then all of this. All of this country stuff came out, and then I pulled it all out.

[Jamie Lang]

Because you don't want to be like, everyone.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. So, like, now it, like, has more, like an island feel, but it was actually. If I play you the original, you're gonna be like, what the fuck? But, yeah, that's how badly I don't want to be a part of what's.

[Jamie Lang]

You're, like, anti zeitgeist, like, anti trend. It's like you're the antidote to what is going on. In a way, I think that's the.

[Jason Derulo]

Only way to have an identity.

[Jamie Lang]

There's a great quote, which I live by, which I say all the time, which is never follow logic, because logic gets you back in the same place as everybody else for sure. And follow that to the end.

[Jason Derulo]

Man, that's a really good quote. What was it again?

[Jamie Lang]

Never follow logic because logic gets you back in the same place as everybody else.

[Jason Derulo]

That's fire. I should write that down. I'm gonna write that shit down. That's fire.

[Jamie Lang]

But. But it's true, right? Everyone's trying to fit it. I'll give you. We know this one. But everyone tries to fit in when we're born to stand out.

[Jason Derulo]

You.

[Jamie Lang]

You. You want to follow your own thing, and that's. You know, look at these quotes coming out.

[Jason Derulo]

Sheesh. Did you write a book yet?

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, I did it, you know, but. But I. But I think, like, it's true. Right? We I. Someone said to me once that. That creativity is the best place is creativity is when you don't know if something's good or not.

[Jason Derulo]

Yep.

[Jamie Lang]

Do you feel that?

[Jason Derulo]

I totally agree. I remember Mike Karen, who's one of the best A&Rs ever. And A dear friend of mine, he heard Talk Dirty for the first time and he was like, either this is going to be the biggest shit in the world or it's going to tank. The hardest record that you've ever had. It's going to be the biggest tank. And I was like, perfect. And my mom, My mom. Let me get to my mom. My mom is like, this is not you. Don't put this out. This is gonna ruin your career.

[Jamie Lang]

Are you serious?

[Jason Derulo]

And then I called my album Talk Dirty. She's just like, oh, we're finished.

[Jamie Lang]

We serious?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. Like, it was, like, deep. Like, my mom was, like, trying to have a heart to heart with me. Like. Like, this is going to ruin everything that you worked so hard for. Like, this is not you. I'm like, but it is me.

[Jamie Lang]

This is me.

[Jason Derulo]

I literally wrote it.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, I like it. It's me.

[Jason Derulo]

Oh, yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

What void do you think you're trying.

[Jason Derulo]

To fill in life?

[Jamie Lang]

Because there's a thing, right, which is where, as in you, you could stop today and you could live in your mansion and you have your son and you have your businesses and you have your music, and you could just go, do you know what? I'm okay. You're one of the most followed people on social media. You have songs that are hits over hits over hits. You're employing over a thousand people with your business. You've made more money than most people are ever going to do in generations. What keeps you going?

[Jason Derulo]

There was a point at the beginning of the pandemic, or like, right before it, in that time period where I was like, man, I've done well for myself. Cool. I did it, you know? Like, I think I'm good. And I remember that thought crossing my mind, you know, for days, maybe even weeks. And then I started to challenge myself. Like, what the fuck are you thinking? From where I started to where I am now, I'm way closer to being the greatest ever than I was to, like, when I began to where I am now, like, that was impossible. But where I am now, to. To how far I have to go to be one of the best ever, that's not that far. So why the fuck would I stop at right at the edge of glory? Like, that makes no sense. Like, what are you doing? And that was what. What changed my mind. So now for me, it's the chase, you know, the chase keeps you alive. I feel like I would have died, you know, a million deaths if I stopped doing what I love doing most. It's my favorite thing in the world, to go in a studio and make music. It's like, there's nothing better than that. Will one day I stop releasing music. Yeah, maybe I'll stop releasing music. But making music, I don't think I'll ever stop making music.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, Bring that to, like, little Jason. I want to know this because. Okay. I always describe myself as like, you throw a bouncy ball into a room and it just won't stop. I mean, I'm like this. And so that's why when I'm. I had to write. I had to write a speech for my wedding, Right. And the only way I could write it was I had to go and sit in a busy place because I can keep getting distracted, but then I can keep going back to the same thing. Were you like that all the time? Just fascinated by everything that was going on?

[Jason Derulo]

No, I wasn't like that at all. I wasn't fascinated by anything except music. In science, for some reason, science, like, really. I'm always. I love facts. I love, like, learning, like, interesting facts. I know, like, all sorts of useless facts that would never have use in my life, but I just like knowing things. I like learning.

[Jamie Lang]

I. I've got one for you. I have so many, it's crazy. Like, I'll give you a great one. The reason why James Bond has a martini shake and not stud. I can tell you.

[Jason Derulo]

Tell me. I was trying to think of it first, but no, I have no idea.

[Jamie Lang]

So Ian Fleminger wrote it. Basically, when you have a martini shaken. Right, the. Well, when you have a martini.

[Jason Derulo]

Oh, I know it. What? You get the froth more. The bubbles at the top.

[Jamie Lang]

A little bit like that. So, yeah, when you stir a martini, the ice and the alcohol mix together. When you shake a martini, the water of the ice sits on top of the alcohol. So he's only sipping water, pretending to get drunk.

[Jason Derulo]

Get out of here.

[Jamie Lang]

There you go. Take that.

[Jason Derulo]

Wow.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Jason Derulo]

That's not. That's not what I said at all.

[Jamie Lang]

No, it's not.

[Jason Derulo]

But thank you for that. You're a good guy. I would have been like, yeah, no, that's not it at all.

[Jamie Lang]

But I'm the same with the these, like you said, I got so many of them.

[Jason Derulo]

I love that.

[Jamie Lang]

But. So you Were you were. You were focused on music and science and you like facts, but you were quite, like, driven from a young age.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, I was driven. I mean, driven is like an understatement. I was obsessed. I am obsessed. And I found that the obsession isn't just with. With music, it's just the obsession of creating, because I have the same sort of obsession with everything. When I didn't make my. My freshman basketball team, I literally walked around with a basketball everywhere that I went. Like, it didn't matter where I was, it didn't matter, like, who I was with. I always had a basketball. Whether it was inside, outside didn't matter. And I was going to be sure that I made the team the next year. And I would spend hours upon hours upon hours. That one year, I think I totally transformed into an entirely different player and different person. I made the team the next year, and then the next year. Well, the first year, my 10th grade year, we won a state championship. And then the next year, we were on the verge of winning another state championship. And then that's when I decided to quit basketball. And I was gonna focus on just music. But that's. It's that sort of obsession that. That makes anybody great at anything. It's just the hours that you put in. It's like. Like how many hours are you actually putting in to what you want to do? Right. And I think that I would have been successful at anything that I decided because of. Of that obsessive kind of behavior.

[Jamie Lang]

But that's interesting. I so agree with you. But that's like a learned thing, which is so interesting. Right. Which is where people don't achieve what they want to achieve because they give up too early, I think.

[Jason Derulo]

Agreed.

[Jamie Lang]

But you didn't. You knew that if you kept picking up that basketball and kept bouncing and kept shooting hoops and going for it, you would make the team. Most kids don't think that way.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. Truth. It's not like I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the highest jumping. I was just the hardest working. So if there was something that only took tenacity, I was gonna win every time. For instance, if we were gonna run four miles that day, I was always gonna be first. If we're doing sprints, probably wasn't gonna be first. If it was gonna jump the highest, I wasn't gonna be first because that took, like, some athletic ability. I didn't have that. But what I had was the hard. The hard work ethic. So I. So since I didn't have a lot of those other things, I built a crazy shot. So I had like an amazing. Just jumper. My jumper was just crazy because that's something that I could work on, right? And like, so that. That just got really, really crazy. And then. Yeah, and then I. And then I gave it all away for music.

[Jamie Lang]

There's so many things I want to unpack here. Firstly, do you have a moment when you were younger that, like, almost beats any achievement that you've done in your life?

[Jason Derulo]

I have. I have one. I don't think it's what you're looking for, but I was on his team called the 49ers. And so I caught this beautiful, beautiful catch. And I'm running down to the end zone and all of a sudden I have an asthma attack and I have to stop running. So they tackle the shit out of me. But, like, that was a crazy turn of events for me. It was just like on top of everything else, I was like, I got acne, I'm fat, I got asthma. It's too much, too much. I'm only 8 years old.

[Jamie Lang]

Because I wanted to mention that we all have these insecurities as kids, and you've spoken about in the past that you said, you know, you were overweight, you had acne, you had asthma. Did you feel insecure as a kid?

[Jason Derulo]

Yes, for quite some time. As a child, there was a lot of insecurities. I would say mainly like three years of major kind of insecure, insecure thoughts.

[Jamie Lang]

And what age are you? At that point.

[Jason Derulo]

I had to be between like 8 and 12, because when I got to. When I got to high school, things. Right before I got to high school, things changed. Because when I joined the track team, that's when things started to change for me because I saw these girls on the track team and I was like, they run track. I need to run track. So I started. I went for the tryouts for track, which is not really a tryout, right, because there's not. Everybody's not running to go, you know, join the track team again. I wasn't fast, didn't jump high. I wasn't strong enough for the shot put. So the only thing that I could do was something that was for the mind. They put me in the. In the long distance. So in the long distance, I didn't start off amazing, but every day running, you know, I was overweight and that those pounds started to shed off, you know, and I was looking at all of these fit kids every single day, and I was just like, man, I need to fit in. So I started to eat salads every day for lunch.

[Jamie Lang]

Wow.

[Jason Derulo]

And I realized that I loved the salad bar because you could pack as much salad on your plate as you possibly could. And, you know, we didn't have very much money, so I could have all of this food, even though it was salad, I could fill myself up and then the, the pounds just started to shed off and then I just started to be slim. And then people started to look at me different and my whole vibe changed.

[Jamie Lang]

I remember when I was maybe around 17, I played a sport in the UK called rugby and I was a big rug player and I injured my knee, did my ACL ligament. So it was actually a desire. My blueprint was to play rugby. That's when it got taken away from me. And my mum said to me, and I used to eat a lot to, like, keep on the weight, because I wanted to keep on the weight. And my mum, I came home once and she said, you, you look a bit stocky. Like, stocky? Yeah, my mum's saying this. He said, you look stocky. And I was like, what do you mean I didn't look stocky? I don't look stocky. She says, you do. You're not, you know, you're not training like you were and you're eating the same amount. You look a little bit stock. I'm just your mom, I'm being honest. And I went, ah, whatever. I went on holiday and you know those cameras that used to have to go and get the film developed? When I got the film developed and it came back and I was looking through the photos and I came across a photo of me topless on the beach and I saw my body suddenly and realized that I had become a bit stocky. And the only way I can describe it, it was like, immediate shame. And it was the first time in my life that I had suddenly gone, what? And I became deeply insecure about my body, my image, and I couldn't, couldn't get out my mind.

[Jason Derulo]

And then, so, so how did you deal with that? Like, what, what was the next step for you? Did you feel like you had to make a change? Like, what was the.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, I had to. I, I, from everything. Like, I, I, if I was, if I was gonna get, like, I'd get everything reduced fat, I would be so conscious of everything that I ate. But it was so secret to me. I didn't tell anyone. It was like. And it's so funny that, that as guys, I don't think we open up that much about, like, weight issues and Image issues.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, because you have to try to, you have to try to wear it as, as if you like it, you know, like, like when, when, when people would, you know, talk about my weight, I'd be like, oh yeah, but I look good, you see me. And, and when you have insecurities, you tend to try to wear it with, with a smile so that people don't know that you're insecure about it. And sometimes that's the toughest part and it's hard.

[Jamie Lang]

And then also, then when it's secret, it's in your mind a lot. It's tough. Right, because you just don't want to talk about a mine. Kind of led to, I suppose, anxiety and just like self critical of myself. That negative thing in my mind started to creep in a little bit at that age. But you were, you, you were younger, which would have been hard. And then also as you said, how you used to counter it is that you used to eat salads and used to sort of monitor yourself. But that's, you know, from 12 years old or whatever. That's a young age to start doing it.

[Jason Derulo]

From super young age. And my, my, my issue, my biggest issue is I come from a Haitian family. So it was not like my mom was making salads, you know what I'm saying? It was not like we, that was like an option. It was like rice and chicken and fried pork and like fried plantains, you know what I'm saying? Like that's what we were raised on. And I got a lot of big boneded people in my family, you know what I'm saying? So like when I'm trying to make a change and I'm like dieting or like trying to make healthier options, people are like, what the hell you doing? Like that's what like you gotta eat, you gotta eat. Like if you want to be healthy, you have to eat, you know. So it was like almost encouraging. Encouraging the, the bad choices. So it was, it can be a little tough, you know, depending on which household you're in. Because you know, you kind of, you kind of need the proper information.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Jason Derulo]

You know, you need the proper support a lot of times. But yeah, thankfully I chose my own.

[Jamie Lang]

Path because I was just thinking, because your obsession with stuff like I can just, I can sit your work the way that you are. You're talking about running track and shooting the hoops. That would become an obsession.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, because I remember seeing B2K on TV. Them boys had abs. Yeah, I remember B2K. Yeah, them boys had abs.

[Jamie Lang]

I Don't Even know what B2K has. What is that? Looking around at the team.

[Jason Derulo]

Wow. Do you know who Omarion is?

[Jamie Lang]

I know who the Backstreet Boys are.

[Jason Derulo]

Wow, I'm shocked.

[Jamie Lang]

Well, can you sing a little song? What is like a bomb? Bomb. Bomb.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. You know that song?

[Jamie Lang]

No.

[Jason Derulo]

I need that clip right there for sure. I'm posting that. That's the greatest shit I've ever seen, man. But.

[Jamie Lang]

So you were seeing these people.

[Jason Derulo]

I'm so sorry though, Marion, but I have to post that. That is actually hilarious.

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[Jason Derulo]

Details.

[Jamie Lang]

You have this obsession, as we said before, where it's. It's music or whatever is. You keep going, you going, you going. And that kind of nearly did stop because you broke your spine. Can you talk me through what happened?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, I was preparing for my tour and 2013. I can't believe there's so many years that have passed that, like, I'm trying to figure out, like, these 10, 10 scores years ago. It's crazy. Time flies, man. It's been 15 years since I released my first song.

[Jamie Lang]

Crazy.

[Jason Derulo]

What the.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, but it's not even that 15 years. Not that long. It's long.

[Jason Derulo]

But what if you're like, I've been knowing this guy for 15 years. You sound like an old. You ain't know nobody for 15 years and you're not old.

[Jamie Lang]

You know, it's true. It's actually true.

[Jason Derulo]

So, yeah, so I was preparing for my tour, man, and I was working on these back tucks for stamina. Or, as you know, that's what this trainer was telling me. So we're doing back to backs. Back to back to backs. We would stop for a while, take a break, and we'll do back, like, 20. Back to back to back to back to back, right? Yeah. And I slipped on one and I. I bailed. And you're never supposed to bail, even if you slip. You're just supposed to just keep going. I bailed, fell on my head, and I heard a crack, and I was just like, oh, like, is. Is this it? Like, fuck. Like, my. Like, I felt like a heat, like a huge, like, heat in my neck. And I was just thinking in my head, like, damn, like, what just happened? Did my life just end? Like, what? Like, where am I? Then all of them, all the people just come rushing to me and they're like, don't move, don't move. Five minutes pass, and I'm kind of like, I want to stand up. You know, I want to get up. And you're never supposed to get up after a neck injury. You're supposed to, like, allow an ambulance to come pick you up. But I wanted to stand up. I mean, I didn't know those facts. My mom was in the car. That's how long ago it was. My mom was dropping me to. Dropping me to rehearsals. And I'm holding my neck like this, just innately, like, you know, it just feels. This feels like more secure, safe. And I'm like, ma, I hurt myself a little bit inside. Let's just go to the hospital just to double check. And I'm in excruciating pain, but I don't want to let her know, you know, how bad my pain is. So I'm sitting in the passenger side, and every single bump that she's going on is like hell on earth. Like, I've never felt so many bumps in my life. It's Just like, when was this road made?

[Jamie Lang]

It's like.

[Jason Derulo]

So get to the hospital, man. And the. You know, we have X rays or whatnot. And the doctor comes and says, you have a hangman's break, you know, which is the same. The same break that happens when you get hung. And this could have been way worse. And you're gonna be down for seven months and kiss your tour goodbye. So had to cancel the entire tour. And. And then I didn't know what to make of the rest of my time that seven months. I didn't know what the rest of my life was gonna look like. I didn't know whether I could take that kind of time off. You know, this was. This was pretty early in my career, right? This was after my second album. So my second album had had two singles on there, Don't Want to Go Home and It Girl, which were. Which were nice, nice hits, you know, but they weren't like the biggest songs in the world, you know? So, like, I didn't know what the next vibe was going to be like for me. And I was like, was this it? Like, did I. Did I max out? And during that time, the seven months that I had, I created a routine for myself and for me not to get down on myself. I felt like the routine would be what I focus my time on and my energy on as opposed to being down on myself. Like, you know, like. Like life is over. So would wake up in the morning, I would go and walk on the treadmill for 40 minutes, and then I would get home. And then when I got home, I would. I would literally spend at least 9 to 12 hours in the studio. And after the 9 to 12 hours in the studio, I would have my meal and then I would go to bed, and then I would start all over again. Every single day, the same routine every single day. And that's when I made my most successful album, which had six platinum songs on it.

[Jamie Lang]

They always say that when a door shuts, there's always a window.

[Jason Derulo]

You just gotta find it 100%. And I believe that wholeheartedly, because every time when I'm on my worst downturn is when the biggest catalyst happens. But you have to be willing to rely on the plan. If you can create a plan and a routine for yourself and you rely just on that, that's enough. If you set a blueprint for yourself and you're like, this is what's going to get me there, and then just stick to it. It works every time.

[Jamie Lang]

It's so important for people to Hear that. You know that. I suppose, like, even coming from someone like you that people look up to and see so much success with, that you've had those moments of, you know, moments of like, is this it? Is this gonna end? And actually, you just gotta mentally put you into a place where you just go, I've just gotta do this. That resilience that you've had since a kid, that got you through it for sure.

[Jason Derulo]

Definitely. Definitely. And. And when I wrote, when I wrote my book is when I realized all of these things, right? Because sometimes people do things by mistake and it just kind of happens, right? And you get lucky. And I believe that things, A lot of things in my life happened out of luck. And I became, I did all these things. I don't know why I did them. It's not like I had like a handbook to tell me to do these things. I just happened to do it and it, and it, and it, and I got lucky that I, that I did it the way that I did. So in writing that book, I had to figure out what the, that I, I did to become successful not only at my music industry, my music business, but also in my actual business and also in social media. It's like, what, like what are all of the, the common commonalities in the successes of my life? And I had to find those things. So I really like.

[Jamie Lang]

And it was 15 principles, right?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. So I had to like, really dive in deep and figure out what those things were.

[Jamie Lang]

What do you think it is? What do you think the main thing is to success?

[Jason Derulo]

I mean, there's not one thing sure, I get.

[Jamie Lang]

But if someone's, someone's listening now and they just, they're going, right? I want to, I want to make my life different. I want to make my life a success. And they're going to, they're listening to you right now and they, maybe they're down and out or whatever and they're going, okay, I need something. What are one of those principles, one of those things you say this is what you should do right now?

[Jason Derulo]

Well, one of them is definitely about change, right? If you, if you're not making the changes in your life, you're not going to see any changes happen, right? Like, it's, it really comes down to what you put in. So, for instance, I own this company called Rumble Boxing, right? And I think it's the most incredible workout that I could possibly get. Like, top notch. Like, I'll walk out and I feel like I look different when I walk out. I guess, like that Deep. And I brought people there before and it was like, ah, well, it wasn't that hard. It's all in what you put into it. So if I'm punching the bag with everything that I have and you're kind of punching the bag, you know, and you're kind of like walking through it, you're not going to get the same amount of workout that I'm getting, you know, so it's. It's all in what you put into it. It all comes down to the hours and then the intensity of those hours. And every single time that I have gone dark, so to speak, and worked on whatever that specific goal was, I've been able to achieve that goal because I was literally spending all of my time and all of my energy doing it, you know, And I. And still to this day, when I'm making music, when I'm doing these things, I feel like I have to compete against the young me, you know, who's that? That new person that's coming out, that's. That's hungry, that doesn't have much, that's trying to make it out, make it out of something that. That's who you have to think about, like. Like, who's the. The next best thing, and that's who you always have to compete against. Because, you know, once you make it, it's not like you're like, you stay there. Success is rented. You can never own it, you know, so as. As soon as that rent is due, you got to make sure you pay up, you know?

[Jamie Lang]

That's great advice. When. Just go. When you do go to those dark times, how dark has it got for you?

[Jason Derulo]

I mean, it hasn't gotten like, you know, like, my darkest time was definitely when I. When I broke my neck. That was the. For sure the darkest. But I have. I've had other dark times where I was trying to get off this record label for a very long time, and they just wouldn't let me go. And finally I was just like, either you let me go or, you know, I'm gonna tell the entire world that you guys are keeping me against my will. And we came to some sort of deal and I, you know, paid, you know, paid some money to get out of the deal or whatever. After that, I was like, okay, I'm gonna go out here and the world's gonna be my oyster. I'm gonna be able to sign with any label. Everybody's gonna be begging for me. This is gonna be incredible as soon as I get released. It's crickets. It's like, oh, no, this is too expensive for us. Oh, you know, this is not really for us right now. I was just like, wait, what do you mean? I'm Jason derulo. I sold 250 million. But what you talking about? The most humbling experience. Right. But then I go into that mode again. It's just like, holy shit. Okay. I'm gonna lock in on a plan and a routine. So I got lost in a routine again. So that's when the pandemic hit. So film six TikToks a day.

[Jamie Lang]

Wow.

[Jason Derulo]

And. And make at least three songs a day.

[Jamie Lang]

Get out of here.

[Jason Derulo]

And one of those songs was take you dancing. Another song was savage love. Another song was konyo. And in that time period, I became one of the most streamed artists again as an independent artist. And that made you feel good? Yeah, it made me feel. It made me feel great. But like, sometimes it just takes being knocked down and kicked in the ass to be like, you can actually do this. You can do it yourself, you know.

[Jamie Lang]

And having those humbling moments.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Is important, right?

[Jason Derulo]

I think so. I really do.

[Jamie Lang]

Savage love was amazing.

[Jason Derulo]

Thank you, brother.

[Jamie Lang]

Oh, man, that, that. I think that that made everyone smile throughout the pandemic.

[Jason Derulo]

Oh, incredible. Yeah. I built that whole new business. It's like the social media business became like a whole. A whole business, man. And I've. It's one of the most lucrative things that I've ever done in my life still to this day.

[Jamie Lang]

Really?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Jamie Lang]

I'm in that process at the moment of thinking about having kids.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, dude.

[Jason Derulo]

Oh, that's a beautiful thing, man.

[Jamie Lang]

But I'm scared about it.

[Jason Derulo]

How old are you?

[Jamie Lang]

22. Do you want my stage age or my.

[Jason Derulo]

Both?

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, okay. Stage age? 22. Real age? 32. So I'm 36.

[Jason Derulo]

Yep. You gotta choose.

[Jamie Lang]

I know, right?

[Jason Derulo]

Choose one.

[Jamie Lang]

It's. It's. It's scary though. I think. I don't know if you've had this, but I'm a bit of a control freak like you, sort of. You spoke about being a Virgo. You like to control everything. And having a kid feels like the one thing in life that I just can't control. I can't control their. The health always. I can't control, you know, the birth. I can't control so many things. And for me, that is so scary. Did you have that?

[Jason Derulo]

Don't you think the most beautiful part of life is not being able to control everything? You know, like, no matter what we do, like, we're going to eventually pass, right? I think that makes everything so much more beautiful. And I think in having children, right, I mean, there's no certainties. And the only certainty that there is is that you'll never love anything else more than your seeds. And you think that you understand love now. You think that you understand affection. You think that you understand appreciating things. But when you have kids, it's. You truly understand. It's like a. It's like a total flip that happens. You know what I'm saying? And you hear these kinds of things, right? And like, you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're supposed to say that it's cliche, but no, it's the. It's the truth. And I feel like I've been able to relive my childhood in a way that I didn't know was possible. You know, all those things that you used to love and that you used to appreciate as a kid and that you kind of lost as an adult, all of that shit comes back again and it's even better the second time. Cause it's like, oh, shit, I remember when. Da da, da, da. You know? So like, reliving your childhood. Also my relationship with my parents is even better, you know? Cause the love that I have for my son, I'm like, oh, shit, now I understand. Mom, I'm so sorry I ain't call you. Cause I couldn't imagine that, you know, that same thing happening to me with my son. You know what I'm saying? So, like, it's brought me closer to my parents and it's completely rocked my world, man. I get chills even talking about it. Really? Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

If anyone who's known.

[Jason Derulo]

So what the fuck are you doing?

[Jamie Lang]

When I mentioned your eyes lit up.

[Jason Derulo]

Aha. Thanks, man. Yeah. Yes. It's a real thing.

[Jamie Lang]

That's crazy, isn't it?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, man, that.

[Jamie Lang]

That. I think what happens in. I don't know, you know, you've experienced, like, crazy fame and success, like, to the max, you know, and. And worldwide. And that has to. Without a doubt. I think when you. When you're that driven and those kind of things, it has to come from the element of, like, selfishness, right? You have to focus on what you want to do, and you have to drive and you have to go for it, right? And sometimes I've sort of experienced in my own life is that you forget about things along the way and you just focus on your end goal, your North Star, whatever that is. When you have a kid, does that all change?

[Jason Derulo]

It all changes because they don't understand everything. I feel like my. My family gives me a pass. It's like, oh, it's Jason being Jason. Like, I'll forget birthdays and shit like that, you know, which is horrible. But, like, they understand that. It's. It just slips my mind. And I don't think I have the average mind because it.

[Jamie Lang]

What do you mean? Give me an example.

[Jason Derulo]

I'm just so asphyxiated with. With my craft, my work, that everything else just kind of falls at the wayside and to a fault, I think. You know, relationships suffer. Other things in my life suffer, like not being able to fix a car. You know what I'm saying? So if me and you, we get stuck, you better know how to fix the car. Because I. The shit that I didn't learn growing up, you know, And I don't know, like, when you. When you have a kid, like, you don't get those kinds of passes. Like, the worst thing in the world would be my son saying, oh, you forgot this. You know, like, I try my best, my damnedest, to try to be there as much as possible so that he never has that void.

[Jamie Lang]

What were your parents like? What were you like as a kid when you were growing up?

[Jason Derulo]

My parents. Well, my mom, she worked. She worked really, really hard, so I learned hard work from my mom, so she went to law school and had a job at the same time, and at the same time trying to come home and cook dinner for us. And, you know, in watching my mom do what she did, I just learned the meaning of hard work and what it took. You know, my dad was an entrepreneur, had a business that he put everything into, you know, And I think that also took a toll on us, you know, as a family, because he wasn't around all the time. So I'm constantly, like, remembering those times as well, you know, as. As. As an adult who kind of is in the same kind of situation where, like, I have all of these aspirations and all of these goals and. And I want to do right for my family. Right. I support a lot of people, a lot of my family, but also, you know, a lot of families that. That work with me. Right. So I support, like, hundreds of people. Wow. You know, thousands, actually.

[Jamie Lang]

Are you serious?

[Jason Derulo]

Thousands of people? Yeah, for sure, for sure. With all the businesses and all. Everything I have. For sure. A thousand, but. So there's a lot of people counting on me. Right. But the one person that matters the most is. Is my son. So I. You know, I'm constantly thinking about those things. You know, and reminding my childhood what.

[Jamie Lang]

Happened, because again, I said before we said. I went to. I always say this, but I went to boarding school at 8. And that definitely gave me, like, this fear of abandonment, right? And so this, like, insecurity within me that people are going to leave. And so when I went into relationships, how you're going to leave? Like, so I became a little bit, like, scared of those things. When you're. When your parents show you hard work and they're working hard, but maybe not around as much, what do you think that did to you as an individual?

[Jason Derulo]

I mean, I just felt like there was a little something missing. You know, my mom was. My mom was. Was there, though. You know, she was as there as one could be. But I understand my dad. It's not like I don't understand because I. I live a very similar kind of. I have. I have very similar aspirations as he. As he did. My situation happened a little different, you know, because I was able to make things, like, really, really explode in a different kind of way. But in looking at the ideals, I mean, it's the same exact thing. You know, when you're chasing something, sometimes you can be so lost that you don't even notice the time. Like, I'll be in the studio, bro. And, like, I don't notice that 18 hours has passed.

[Jamie Lang]

Get out of here.

[Jason Derulo]

Like, I just wouldn't. I just wouldn't know. And the only way that I know is, like, when I look at everybody else and then they're just like. Like, my engineer, like, literally can't keep his eyes open, and I'm like, yo. And he's like, so that's when I'm like, damn. Okay, I can only go two more hours.

[Jamie Lang]

The worker that you have is crazy.

[Jason Derulo]

People literally have to take turns. So, like, if I have, like, some management with me or something like that, like, people have to, like, switch off because I'm, like, always on, you know, Like.

[Jamie Lang]

Have you always been like that?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, I've always been like that since. Since I was a kid.

[Jamie Lang]

Seriously. From a. From an entrepreneur and just from someone who understands how tough business is. Doesn't matter what position you're in, it's insanely impressive what you've built, what you're doing and where you're going. And I think a lot of people can learn a huge amount from you. Seriously, man. And I really appreciate. I know how busy your time is and I know how many directions you're pulled in, so I appreciate you doing this. We'd like to end Our conversation with eight questions very quickly. Are you ready for this?

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah, for sure.

[Jamie Lang]

If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

[Jason Derulo]

Well, definitely Michael Jackson. Yeah. But alive. I've really, always really wanted to work with Sia, which you're about to. Yeah. So she was just like somebody that is timeless and has created a sound like nobody else, you know, and she's always been somebody that, you know, I've wanted to work with. And yes, thankfully, I have a song with her now that's coming out in January.

[Jamie Lang]

Are you excited? Is it.

[Jason Derulo]

Super, super excited. I mean, it's. Snippet is out on social media now, but so excited for it to final actually come out in January.

[Jamie Lang]

Man, is it gonna be huge.

[Jason Derulo]

I think I. I mean, I like it. I don't like to say things are gonna be because I don't have a crystal ball, but because the people have been wrong before.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, here we go. What's the saying or phrase that always makes you smile or cheers you up?

[Jason Derulo]

A phrase that SM makes me smile. It cheers me up. Me and my son, we have. We have a little something and I. Whenever something great happens or he does something great or I do something great, I'll say to him, that's my dog. And then he say, that's my dog. And vice versa. Like if, like when I'm coming off stage, like, he'll be like, that's my dog. And I'll be like, that's my dog. So that's like, probably the best phrase. Like, for sure, for sure.

[Jamie Lang]

Best compliment anyone's ever given you.

[Jason Derulo]

Um, damn.

[Jamie Lang]

This is because you're too hard on yourself, I think.

[Jason Derulo]

Um. Yeah, I don't. I don't know. The best compliment.

[Jamie Lang]

When someone says a compliment to you, what hits the heart?

[Jason Derulo]

It really hits his home. When somebody tells me that they have been affected to my music in one way or another, like, within their lives. So people will say, like, riding solo, like, help me through my breakup, or I got engaged to marry me, or I asked my girlfriend to be mine using it girl, you know, Or I used to get dressed to talk dirty every single day. When people input my songs into their lives and into a time period, I think that's the greatest compliment because it makes me a small part of people's lives, and I think there's no greater feeling than that.

[Jamie Lang]

What scares you most about yourself?

[Jason Derulo]

That I don't have an off button. It really scares me because I watch people around me that I think are very hard working and I think that they're lazy. And that fucking scares me because I. It's so hard for me to like, understand why, why, why they won't work more. I'm talking about everybody, you included. But yeah, I don't have. I don't have an off button. So, yeah, that scares me. And I only know that because I watch other people.

[Jamie Lang]

I know. You mean. When was the last time you cried?

[Jason Derulo]

The last time I cried was two trips ago. Leaving my son. I knew I was. I was going to be leaving for a couple of weeks and I wasn't going to see him for a while. And that hit me pretty hard.

[Jamie Lang]

What's something you can't let go of?

[Jason Derulo]

Something that I can't let go of. I can't let go of. I actually really like having a cocktail. So like, even when I'm on a diet and shit, I have to like, input the macros of the alcohol that I'm gonna drink because I'm not gonna like, not have a drink. I feel like I'm an adult man and I have to have something in life. See what I'm saying? I'm not just going to not eat good food and not drink. That's crazy. So what are we here for? Is just like to be miserable, look good and be miserable.

[Jamie Lang]

That's.

[Jason Derulo]

That's a great idea.

[Jamie Lang]

What's your cocktail?

[Jason Derulo]

My, my one of the moment. So I'll tell you one that I actually like and the one that actually drink.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay.

[Jason Derulo]

So the one that I actually like is muddled orange, where you beat the orange's ass. You know, you gotta like. And then you put tequila in it. So it's like ice, muddled orange and tequila. And then that's the one I really like.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Jason Derulo]

And then the one that I. I like but don't love is the Diet Coke. Tequila.

[Jamie Lang]

What is that?

[Jason Derulo]

Diet Coke and tequila.

[Jamie Lang]

It's just straight up Diet Coke and tequila.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah. People always like, what is that? It's like, no, it's no sugar.

[Jamie Lang]

It's just Diet Coke and tequila. Yeah, I like it.

[Jason Derulo]

You never tried it?

[Jamie Lang]

No guarantee though.

[Jason Derulo]

Yes, it's not bad.

[Jamie Lang]

What turns you off?

[Jason Derulo]

A liar. I can't stand a liar. Especially if the person is close to me. I give all the opportunities in the world and if someone either lies or steals from me, there's no turning back.

[Jamie Lang]

What turns you on?

[Jason Derulo]

Turns me on is a woman that can cook or is even willing to cook. They don't even necessarily have to be talented at it. I'm just like. For some reason, I'm just like really attracted to that.

[Jamie Lang]

It's your love language.

[Jason Derulo]

I think so.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Beautiful.

[Jason Derulo]

A lot of people think that's weird.

[Jamie Lang]

No, I. Look, I. I think there's. I, weirdly enough, with my wife Sophie, if I come back, this is no one I'm not trying to go with. Like, I swear to God, if I come back and she's cooked me something, which she did the other day, which. It's called shepherd's pie. It's like a UK dish.

[Jason Derulo]

I know. Shepherd's pie.

[Jamie Lang]

You've had it.

[Jason Derulo]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

When she did that for me the other day and I was like, I love you. It's like. Yeah. I don't know why. Something about it, it's the act of service, of doing something that, like, you weren't expecting. It's just amazing.

[Jason Derulo]

For sure. For sure.

[Jamie Lang]

What do you like most about yourself?

[Jason Derulo]

The thing that I like the most about myself is that I am a really positive person. So I'm. I'm always a glass full kind of guy. So in every situation, I'm trying to figure out what the good is in it, you know, Even if it looks bleak, I'm just like, oh, okay. But, you know, at least, you know, and I. I think that's a. A great personality trait.

[Jamie Lang]

Okay, last one. The favorite lyric you ever written.

[Jason Derulo]

But your booty don't need explaining.

[Jamie Lang]

Jason, thank you so much. Great company.

[Producer Jemima]

You did ask him if he likes it, and he doesn't. Jason Derulo did not like that, did he? I know, but I still think it's fantastic. I love that.

[Jamie Lang]

What a great vibe, man.

[Producer Jemima]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, I love that.

[Producer Jemima]

Yeah. You guys are getting on really well.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah, he's great.

[Producer Jemima]

I think you could, if you were in town, I think he could pop.

[Jamie Lang]

By, talk about la.

[Producer Jemima]

I don't know where he lives.

[Jamie Lang]

Yeah. If you're in town.

[Producer Jemima]

If you're in town, you can pop by any old town.

[Jamie Lang]

Any old town. We will do. He was amazing. And just. What a story. He was incredible.

[Producer Jemima]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lang]

I loved it.

[Producer Jemima]

Drive.

[Jamie Lang]

I know. Hey, listen, as I said at the beginning of the show, we want to do our bonus episodes and I'm going to repeat it here again. We want to know what you think about doing a bonus episode. Listeners, questions, listeners, messages. Jemima and I talking about different things, about the industry, whatever it may be, life, everything. Let us know what you think. Send us an email at Great Company Podcast or slide into our DMS at Great Company on Instagram. We'd love to know what you think. And if you haven't subscribed to the show already or checked us out on YouTube? It Please do. Okay.

[Producer Jemima]

All right, that's it.

[Jamie Lang]

I'll see you next week, Jemima. Well, I'll see you as we walk out the room. And today and tomorrow I close my.

[Producer Jemima]

Eyes until next week.

[Jamie Lang]

You do.

[Producer Jemima]

I don't want to. I will see you next week.

[Jamie Lang]

And we also have some amazing guests lined up.

[Producer Jemima]

I was just about to say incred, incredible guest.

[Jamie Lang]

So get ready for that. Okay, we'll see you next week for another episode.

[Producer Jemima]

Have great company.

[Jason Derulo]

Bye. Bye.

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[Jason Derulo]

I'm not doing this to get to a number.

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