Guest Review: Hollaphonic’s Olly Wood checks out Jason Derulo at Dubai Music Week

Jason Derulo performs at Dubai Music Week. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

I remember seeing Jason Derulo perform live at some US awards show when he was a relatively newbie on the scene – he seemed confused, out of breath and slightly embarrassing for the viewer.

It’s pretty safe to say now, however, the game has officially changed. Derulo should, in my opinion, be counted among the top echelons of millennial pop-artists; like Taylor Swift, it’s hard not to enjoy his music, each track has that pop secret flowing through its hooks and toplines like commercial magma.

On the first night (September 23) at Dubai Music Week, Derulo simply did his thing.

The opening set from Two Tone was an impressive one – it was clear he is as much a showman as his headline act: bringing his own dancers, flying in a DJ from Spain and drawing support from Dubai’s very own Kris Fade to fill a large stage with a solid opening vibe. I still believe more can be done for local artists, but that’s a whole other article.

Then we cut to darkness and up popped Derulo’s hype man – I forget his name but I’m sure he was saying it a lot – who got the crowd into a suitable frenzy for a JD entrance. Someone was quick to point out to me that the whole thing looked a bit like a JT show, but I’d say that was positive. Hit after hit was performed alongside gyrating dancers to a backing track of screaming fans.

Derulo nails the vocal time after time, and to be fair the translation of his radio tracks into a live band composition was both impressive and engaging. It’s safe to say his voice has grown immensely over the years, and JD nails notes and riffs that would have Mariah Carey shaking in her high heels.

Ultimately, a great start to a triple threat pop-programme from Live Nation. The final production showed enough Co2 bangs and LED awesomeness to get me excited about the spectacle that will be the Thirty Seconds to Mars show on Friday, September 25.

As a sign off, I suppose all that's left to say is: I'm still hearing Trumpets in my head, so fair play, Jason – you nailed it.