Virginia to Vegas

Last updated

Virginia To Vegas
Derikpromoshot.jpg
Background information
Birth nameDerik John Baker
Born (1990-01-31) January 31, 1990 (age 34)
Virginia, United States
Origin Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
Years active2013–present
Labels
Website www.virginiatovegas.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Derik John Baker (born January 31, 1990), known as Virginia To Vegas, is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. He is based in Toronto, Ontario. [1] He is best known for his gold and platinum-certified singles, "We Are Stars", "Lights Out", "Selfish", "Just Friends" and "Betterman", released through Wax Records and Ultra Records.

Contents

Beginnings

Although Derik John Baker was born in the United States, he was raised in Guelph and Toronto, Ontario, where he attended high school at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School . After high school, Derik attended Sheridan College for studies in Travel and Tourism.

Career

2013–2014: Career beginnings and Vol. I

Virginia To Vegas was signed to an independent full service 100% Canadian music company Wax Records in July 2013, after label executive, Jamie Appleby, discovered him on YouTube. The first single "We Are Stars" was released on January 7, 2014, and entered the Canadian Singles Top 100 chart at 94 on week 5, February 1, 2014, peaked at 14 and stayed for one week. [2] On November 10, 2014, Virginia to Vegas released his debut EP Vol. I, which includes his Platinum-certified debut single "We Are Stars". [3] [4]

2015–2016: Utopian

Virginia to Vegas released a new single, "Our Story", on May 4, 2015. [5] On September 2, 2016, he released a new single, "Lights Out", which samples Rockwell's 1984 single, "Somebody's Watching Me". [6] That fall, he announced that his debut studio album would be released by the end of 2016. [7] Utopian was released on December 2, 2016 and features all four of his singles released through that date. [8] This was when he first got signed to a U.S record company of Ultra Records.

2017–2019: Hartland St.

On February 24, 2017, Virginia To Vegas released a new single called "Selfish". [9] On November 8, he released another single called "Emotions". [10] His next single "Yesterday" was released on October 12, 2018. [11] Finally, he released "Just Friends" on May 24, 2019. [12] All these songs are featured on his second EP Hartland St., which was released on June 14, 2019. [13] Hartland Street is the name of the actual street he lives on in real life. This was when he moved to, was living in, and was leaving Los Angeles at a time.

2020–2022: A Constant State of Improvement and Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming

Only months after the release of Hartland St., Virginia To Vegas released the single "Betterman" on February 14, 2020, followed by an EP titled A Constant State of Improvement on February 28, 2020, which includes the song "Betterman". On October 30, 2020, he released another EP, Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming, [14] which includes the lead single "Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)", released on September 18. [15] In September 2021, he collaborated with MacKenzie Porter on the single "This Sucks.". [16]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
Utopian
Life Gets Interesting...
  • Released: February 17, 2023
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: CD, digital download
Track listing [17]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "Casamigos"
  • 3. "Amnesia"
  • 4. "Outerspace"
  • 5. "No Excuses"
  • 6. "Break Up with That Guy."
  • 7. "Over You"
  • 8. "R.I.P."
  • 9. "You Don't Know"
  • 10. "Drunk"

Compilation albums

TitleAlbum details
The Greatest Hits
  • Released: March 8, 2024
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: CD, digital download
Track listing [18]
  • 1. "We Are Stars" (featuring Alyssa Reid)
  • 2. "Lights Out"
  • 3. "Selfish"
  • 4. "Just Friends"
  • 5. "Betterman"
  • 6. "No Excusus"
  • 7. "Don't Fight the Music"
  • 8. "What Are We"
  • 9. "Better with You"
  • 10. "Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)"
  • 11. "Malibu" (with NOTD)
  • 12. "Time!"

Extended plays

TitleEP details
Vol. I
  • Released: November 10, 2014
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [19]
  • 1. "Last of the Fighters"
  • 2. "We Are Stars" (featuring Alyssa Reid)
  • 3. "Make It Last"
  • 4. "Colourful"
  • 5. "Don't Fight the Music"
  • 6. "Beautiful"
Hartland St.
  • Released: June 14, 2019
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [13]
  • 1. "Just Friends"
  • 2. "Internet"
  • 3. "Selfish"
  • 4. "Yesterday"
  • 5. "Emotions"
  • 6. "Losing Touch"
A Constant State of Improvement
  • Released: February 28, 2020
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [20]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "What Are We"
  • 3. "Betterman"
  • 4. "One on One"
  • 5. "Better with You"
Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming
  • Released: October 30, 2020
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [14]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)"
  • 3. "Flyby." (with Mokita)
  • 4. "Told You So"
  • 5. "Cry"
  • 6. "Sunny Days"
It's a Little Complicated, But I'm Okay.
  • Released: February 4, 2022
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [21]
  • 1. "Amnesia"
  • 2. "No Excuses"
  • 3. "Outerspace"

Compilation extended plays

TitleEP details
L.A. in the Rear View
Track listing [22]
  • 1. "Just Friends"
  • 2. "Betterman"
  • 3. "What Are We"
  • 4. "Told You So"
  • 5. "Better with You"
  • 6. "Sunny Days"
Remember That Time We
  • Released: May 20, 2022
  • Label: Wax, FP
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing [23]

Singles

As lead artist

YearSinglePeak chart positions Certifications Album
CAN
[24]
CAN
AC

[25]
CAN CHR
[26]
CAN
Hot AC

[27]
2014"We Are Stars"
(featuring Alyssa Reid)
14131114Utopian
"Don't Fight the Music"97303336
2015"Our Story"4732
2016"Lights Out"40121014
2017"Selfish"7211912Hartland St.
"Emotions"3439
2018"Yesterday"30
2019"Just Friends"50583
2020"Betterman"488156A Constant State of Improvement
"Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)" [15] 2741Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming
2021"Malibu" [29]
(with NOTD)
2429Remember That Time We
"This Sucks." [30]
(with MacKenzie Porter)
2642
2022"No Excuses"6171211Life Gets Interesting...
"Daydreaming" [31]
(with Noelle)
99142029Non-album singles
2023"Last Christmas"
(featuring Tyler Shaw, Lolo, New Friends, Noelle, Shawn Hook)
2024"Time!"The Greatest Hits
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
CAN
[32]
CAN
AC

[33]
CAN CHR
[34]
CAN
Hot AC

[35]
2021"Just as Much"
(Delaney Jane featuring Virginia to Vegas)
71151121Somewhere Else

Promotional singles

YearSingleAlbum
2014"Colourful"Vol. I
2021"Amnesia" [36] Life Gets Interesting...
2022"You Don't Know" [37]
"Break Up with That Guy." [38]

Awards

Virginia to Vegas performed at the 2014 Canadian Radio Music Awards where he was nominated for the Heartseeker Award. His radio success with his first three singles "We Are Stars", "Don't Fight the Music", and "Our Story" contributed to him being nominated for Pop Artist or Group of the Year at the 2015 Sirius XM Indie Awards. [39]

"We Are Stars", "Lights Out" and "Selfish" all earned Virginia to Vegas Socan awards for pop recordings of the year.

In 2015 Virginia to Vegas was awarded at the Canadian Radio Music Awards for the Factor Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

He received a Juno Award nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018. [40]

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References

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