Interview: A Four Beat-Count With Jason Derulo For MTV’s ‘Turn The Beat Around’

Jason Derulo is like one of those multi-purpose Swiss Army knives that presents a new feature every-time you use it.

At any moment he can be a well-rounded singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor, and would technically boast a quadruple threat, but you can’t be too sure with a guy like this.

You never know when he’s going to show you another part of his versatility.

His most recent example of  those surprise features, was his role in MTV’s made-for-TV-movie Turn The Beat Around which premiered on February 26. Derulo shows off his skills by playing a recording star, and also delivers a high-energy dance performance.

But his role on the TV screen is just a small ripple effect of the Miami-born’s overall talent- which people have begun to take note of.

It’s the reason why he’s been the opening act for Lady Gaga during her Monster Ball tour since November 2009. And it’s the reason why his two singles so far -Whatcha Say and In My Head- have both ranked in the top ten on a bunch of music charts across the globe. Whatcha Say has made the most headlines, grabbing the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and gaining double-platinum status in the U.S.

Oh yea, and this is all been accomplished before the release of his self-titled debut album, which drops on March 2.

Considering that GQ Magazine’s December 2009 issue dubbed Drake, Kid Cudi and Wale as Hip Hop’s next torch-bearers, it can definitely be argued that Derulo is part of the next chosen ones to fill the shoes of Pop.

andPOP managed to speak to Derulo about his love for acting and his secret method for songwriting. Also make sure to check out our original interview with Jason Derulo!

andPOP: You seem to be a jack-of-all-trades. How did you get into acting?

JD: I actually grew up acting. I was in a few theatre productions at AMDA in New York, so I don’t think I’m one of those actors who has a career just based from a previous music career. I actually got offered something from Broadway a while ago, but it just wasn’t a good fit because I was focused on music,  so I had to turn it down. But I do really love this craft. Right now, all I can be is thankful that my music and acting careers are slowly taking off at the same time.

andPOP: Tell me about the audition process for this MTV movie?

JD: Well, I went into the auditions totally normally. It was way before Whatcha Say gained hype. I just went into MTV without any ties to anybody, and just read the lines like it was a regular gig. It made landing the role that much more of a personal success. In the beginning, I was just drawn to the whole vibe how the movie had the same idea of the dance movie Step It Up. And I’m really thankful to MTV for letting me have the opportunity to do this.

andPOP: Any ideal guys you’d like to work with?

JD: Definitely Steven Spielberg. Quentin Tarantino. They’re just amazing. I’ve always wanted to do the superhero film thing too, just got work up to it!

andPOP: When you’re thinking about your music career, what’s your routine to get the creative juices flowing before writing a song?

JD: Honestly just put me in the sound-booth. Once I’m in there I’ll just be messing with everything. The light turns on in my mind, and I’ll turn the music really, really loud in my headphones. If you were to listen you’d think I was trying to make you deaf, but for me, I begin to pen lyrics on the spot, develop rhythm and sound. I dance to the music, mumbling words. That’s how I start the song, I don’t use pen or paper at all.