After penning songs for artists like Sean Kingston and Lil Wayne, Jason Derulo scored a quintuple platinum hit on his own with with 2009’s “Whatcha Say.” He would go on to obtain 13 more platinum singles in the U.S., including “Talk Dirty” and “Ridin’ Solo.” Sadly, a 2012 injury nearly ended not only the singer-songwriter’s career, but his entire life. Keep reading to find why Derulo thinks the near-fatal incident was actually good for his career.
Videos by American Songwriter
Jason Derulo Nearly Broke His Neck
In early 2012, Jason Derulo was riding a high. He had released his second album, Future History, the previous fall, and was scheduled to kick off an eight-date tour of the United Kingdom that February. That is, until he slipped and “heard a crack” while performing back tucks “for stamina” during rehearsals.
“I felt, like, a huge like heat in my neck, and I was just thinking in my head, like, ‘Damn, what just happened? Did my life just end?’” the singer-songwriter, 35, said during a recent appearance on the Great Company podcast.
Derulo tried not to betray his “excruciating pain” as his mom drove him to a local hospital. (“Every single bump that she’s going on is, like, hell on Earth,” he said.) Once there, a doctor dropped the devastating news: He had broken his C2 vertebrae, an injury known as “the hangman’s break.”
“‘You’re going to be down for seven months and kiss your tour goodbye,’” Derulo recalled. “So I had to cancel the entire tour.”
[RELATED: Jason Derulo and Meghan Trainor Team Up For “Hands On Me”]
“It Works Every F—ing Time”
Seven months is a lifetime in the entertainment industry, and Jason Derulo worried whether his career could withstand the hiatus. “I was like, ‘Is this it? Did I max out?’” the “It Girl” singer said.
To stave off despair, Derulo created a routine for himself. Each day, he spent 40 minutes on the treadmill before heading to the studio for nine to 12 hours. “And that’s when I made my most successful album, which had six platinum songs on it,” he said, referring to 2013’s Tattoos and 2014’s Talk Dirty.
“Every time when I’m on my worst downturn, it’s when the biggest catalyst happens. But you have to be willing to rely on the plan,” Derulo continued. “If you set a blueprint for yourself and you’re like, ‘This is what’s going to get me there,’ and just stick to it, it works every f—ing time.”
Featured image by Larry Marano/Shutterstock)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.