Jason Derulo says living like a local in Australia is just his vibe

Whether it’s singing, helping aspiring artists realise their dreams, drinking Aussie coffee or raising his young son, Jason Derulo is happy doing the things he loves.

American pop star Jason Derulo has settled the score on coffee Down Under.

While Aussies often lament the lack of quality brew in the US, Derulo too has given his verdict — and his fellow Americans may not be happy.

“I think so, I really do,” Derulo said, confirming Australians make better coffee than they do in the US.

Derulo speaks from experience as an honorary Australian, having spent a lot of time there throughout his career.

Most recently, he lived for a few months in Sydney shooting the new season of The Voice Australia, where he relished the opportunity to live like a local.

The Voice Australia coach Jason Derulo. Picture: Nicholas Wilson

“I got to sink my teeth into a routine and the culture of Australia,” he explained, sitting down with Insider.

“I’ve always really loved Australia, but this is the first time where I got to spend some time there so being able to go to a gym that I like going to, and having favourite restaurants, that’s really cool.”

The Voice coaches, Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian, Jason Derulo and Rita Ora. Picture: Nicholas Wilson

Derulo was reluctant to divulge the name of his fave restaurant so as to keep it a sacred spot for his next visit.

He did, however, reveal it to be a sushi eatery.

“I don’t know if I want to mention,” he said.

“I love sushi and I have got to admit the coffee in Aussie is really good.”

Derulo is new to the panel of coaches on The Voice Australia, joining Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Rita Ora on the singing reality show.

The Talk Dirty To Me singer replaced Keith Urban, who stood out this season to focus on touring and his own music.

It is coach against coach as the famous panel of artists bring together their favourites to be part of their team. The ultimate aim is for one of their singers to win the competition.

“For sure I want to win,” Derulo declared.

“I didn’t come to be a loser so, at the end of the day, they are all really great people, insanely nice. It is a competition though and I really care for my artists, so I want best for them.

“I am fighting for them tooth and nail. I had to do what I had to do to get the people I think are the best.”

US singer Jason Derulo has had huge success with global sales of more than 250 million. Picture: Helle Arensbak/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP

Derulo is hugely competitive, and unashamedly so as he described Sebastian as a “poet” in his pitches to singers to be on his team.

“They have this block thing so Guy (Sebastian) got blocked a tonne,” he said.

“He gets the award for the most blocked.”

Derulo, 33, has had huge success with global sales of more than 250 million and major chart topping hits including Wiggle, Want To Want Me, It Girl, In My Head, Ridin’ Solo and Watcha Say.

Over recent years, he has emerged as one of the biggest name artists on TikTok as a viral superstar truly embracing social media platforms and music.

“I thought it was a cool chance to reach back out to aspiring artists, you know?” he said when asked what made him sign up to the Australian show.

“I’ve done a lot of things within my life and have lived my full dream, and I think that’s really underrated, being able to do what you love to do.”

He continued: “People ask me why I am happy all the time and it is because I really try to live my life in a way that I’m only doing things that I love to do, but I’m doing it with no holds barred.

“I’m doing it all or nothing, but I’m only doing the things that I enjoy and everything else falls at the wayside. And I protect my peace a lot so if something is disturbing or interfering with what the dream is, what the next level is, I get rid of those things.”

Jason Derulo with a contestant on The Voice. He thought doing the show “was a cool chance to reach back out to aspiring artists”. Picture: Channel 7

On the personal front, Derulo is father to two-year-old son, Jason King, with ex-girlfriend Jena Frumes.

Being a dad has changed everything for the star who has lived life in the spotlight for nearly two decades.

“I was always proper with my time, but now it is even crazier because I have to make sure that I’m giving him the proper time,” Derulo explained.

“So I’m really not doing anything that is not like my favourite s*** or something that’s going to help the big picture in mind. Those days are completely gone because I have to make sure that I’m giving him the time.

“Even when I am not home, I make sure I’m Facetiming with him for a proper chunk of time in that day. That’s time that I 100 per cent have to devote to him, whether I’m home or I’m not home at all. But also, it’s amazing because he’s like my ray of sunshine.”

Derulo grew up in Florida to Haitian parents, Joel and Jocelyne Desrouleaux. The singer is very aware his son is growing up under different circumstances.

“For me, it wasn’t hard to be humble because I came from nothing,” he said.

“So, it was not hard to appreciate things. He is a privileged kid, growing up very different to how I grew up on so many different levels.

“I talk to lots of people and hopefully I can come up with the best plan and the best way forward so that he feels the love but also feels the tough love, and showing him what it takes to have purpose in life, because I think that is the main way that people go wrong when they are raising kids that are privileged, they don’t have purpose because they already have everything.

“You have to teach them the work ethic and how to get there.”

Jason Derulo and Jessica Mauboy on The Voice. He features on Mauboy’s new track, Give You Love. Picture: Channel 7

Musically, Derulo has not released a new studio album in eight years. He has been busy working on material with an album slated for November. True to form, he is trying something new.

“It is coming together with an audio podcast so it is basically an audio TV show with the album,” he revealed.

“It has never been done before so I am really excited to have the producers of Twilight behind it and phenomenal actors and actresses that came on board. I am really blessed and excited to deliver something that has never been done before.”

Derulo also features on Jessica Mauboy’s new track, Give You Love.

“She (Mauboy) is an incredible human being as well as an amazing vocalist, so when the opportunity came about, it was like, absolutely,” he said.

“She sent me the song and I instantly connected with it and I think that’s really important, obviously, to be connected with a song. You can’t just make something awesome that you don’t connect with in the first place. We went in and magic happened. It is a really cool song that is going to hit home for a lot of people.”

There is, he added, scope for the song to take off internationally.

“The way that the music industry is now, there’s nothing that is just regional anymore,” he said.

“You can put a song out tomorrow, it can instantly touch the world, even if it is not in English necessarily. Latin music has taken over the world. It is the most streamed music of the day.”