Jason Derulo’s secret to making hits: “Fresh sounds,” but “leading with melody”
ABC News/Frame GrabNot many artists on the charts today can say they’ve been releasing hits for more than 10 years, but Jason Derulo is one of them. From “Whatcha Say” and “Talk Dirty,” to “Trumpets” and “Savage Love,” his songs are all over the map, …
By ABC Audio on September 8, 2020
ABC News/Frame GrabNot many artists on the charts today can say they’ve been releasing hits for more than 10 years, but Jason Derulo is one of them. From “Whatcha Say” and “Talk Dirty,” to “Trumpets” and “Savage Love,” his songs are all over the map, which is what Jason says is the key to his success: Always come up with something different — but don’t forget one basic rule.
“You have to lead with melody. I think melody is most important, because that’s what speaks to us all,” he tells ABC News. “No matter what language we speak, no matter where we’re from, melodies are what get us attracted to a song.”
“And then I try to find fresh sounds every time…I’m always on the prowl for something that just stands stands apart from what’s going on,” he notes.
“A lot of times, the radio can feel a little redundant ’cause everybody’s trying to chase the hit, right? ‘Lemme make a song like that, because this worked, it might work for me!’ I’m doing an exact opposite.”
“I’m looking for fresh sounds that just kind of cut through,” Jason adds. “And I guess that’s it’s done pretty well for me throughout the years.”
In his search for new sounds, Jason worked early on with Ricky Reed and Jon Bellion, who then blew up. He owes “Savage Love” to TikTok, which is where he discovered its beat. He firmly believes TikTok users are the ones leading the way creatively.
“I think they’re incredible content creators; they’ve basically changed the world,” gushes Jason.
“They have these huge platforms and I think you can call them the new boy bands, almost! They just have this huge craze going on, and I try to bring a lot of the young ones in to collaborate with.” ]
By Andrea Dresdale
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