Jason Derulo Is Still Finding New Ways to Make a Hit

Jason Derulo is in a transitional phase, revisiting his past with The Last Dance while planning a new sound and persona for Part 2, aiming for a late-October release. He emphasizes that streaming-era dynamics, especially TikTok, have reshaped how hits are made and views albums as continuous playlists rather than traditional records.

Jason Derulo Is Still Finding New Ways to Make a Hit Sep 19, 2026 8:00am # ‘It Feels Just Like the Beginning’: Jason Derulo Is Still Finding New Ways to Make a Hit By Lauren McNamara Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic More than 15 years after breaking through with “Whatcha Say,” Jason Derulo is in an interesting period of his career. On one hand, his early hits are finding new life with listeners drawn to nostalgia, and on the other, he’s preparing to introduce a completely different side of himself with his next album. Joining me on Zoom from Brisbane, just hours before he takes to the stage and kicks off the Australian leg of his latest tour, the US star is visibly excited to be back Down Under. The set, he tells me, stretches from his old bangers like “In My Head,” “Ridin’ Solo” and “Talk Dirty” to newer releases “Mi Chico” and “Let Me Be,” the latter of which he’ll perform live for the very first time that night. Spanning several eras of pop – and an industry that has changed considerably since Derulo first arrived – I point out that the setlist is a reminder of just how long he has remained a fixture in pop music. He smiles at the observation. “I’ve seen the industry change one million times, both personally and holistically,” he laughs. All that change has inevitably coincided with his own evolution as an artist. His latest project, “The Last Dance,” captures both sides of that journey, revisiting his past before shifting its focus towards what comes next. “It’s the end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” he tells Variety Australia. “The first pa…

read it at au.variety.com