Daniel Caesar

Last updated

Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar - Coachella 2018.jpg
Caesar performing in 2018
Background information
Birth nameAshton Dumar Norwill Simmonds
Born (1995-04-05) April 5, 1995 (age 29)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada [1]
Origin Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Genres R&B, Neo soul [2]
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2014–present
Labels
Website danielcaesar.com

Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds [1] [4] (born April 5, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed EPs, Praise Break (2014) and Pilgrim's Paradise (2015), Caesar released his debut studio album, Freudian , in August 2017, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. [5] He released his second studio album, Case Study 01 , in June 2019. In March 2021, Caesar was featured alongside Giveon on Justin Bieber's single "Peaches", his first number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. Caesar released his third studio album, Never Enough, in April 2023 as his first release under Republic Records.

Contents

Life and career

Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds was born on April 5, 1995, in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Oshawa. He is the second eldest of four children to his mother Hollace and father Norwill Simmonds, a pastor and gospel singer who released his first album as a high school student in Jamaica. Caesar attended the Seventh-day Adventist Church and private school in Oshawa. [6] [7] He is of Bajan and Jamaican descent. [8]

Caesar grew up in church, singing before his father's congregation in Oshawa. [9] He was raised listening to soul and gospel delivered through musicality and religion, even though his parents were cautious of temptations that came with music. [9] Caesar longed for the city, which was an hour’s drive from his home. [9]

At the age of 17, Caesar was kicked out of the house after a fight with his father on the weekend of his high school graduation; he was briefly homeless during this time. [10] He felt no choice but to pursue his calling as a musician. [9] After leaving his home, he began doing gigs. He connected with producers and future collaborators Jordan Evans and Matthew Burnett and began writing and recording what would be his debut EP Praise Break in 2014; [10] it was No. 19 on the "20 Best R&B Albums of 2014" by Rolling Stone and the top projects of 2014 by Noisey Canada. [11] [12]

Caesar's career gained notability in 2015, with the release of his second EP, Pilgrim's Paradise. [9] The album received positive critical acclaim and, while not immediately a commercial success, tracks like "Streetcar", the cover of Kanye West's 2008 song "Street Lights", have become fan favorites. [13] [14]

On August 25, 2017, Caesar released his debut album Freudian , which includes the singles "Get You", "We Find Love", and "Blessed". The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. [15] At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Caesar received two nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for "Get You". [16] At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Caesar won Best R&B Performance for his single "Best Part". [17] On March 19, 2021, Caesar was also featured alongside American singer-songwriter Giveon on fellow Canadian singer Justin Bieber's single "Peaches", from the latter's sixth studio album, Justice , which became his first chart-topping single on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Caesar released his third studio album, Never Enough, through Republic Records on April 7, 2023. [18]

Artistry

Caesar's music is influenced by soul and gospel. His music draws from his childhood experiences and integrates them with R&B and electronics, while his lyrics explore subjects of religion, philosophy and unrequited love. In his music, he often references concepts of philosophy. His singing voice reshapes itself on each track, often veering into a hushed, introspective lilting style. [9] According to Caesar, "In my religious surroundings growing up, the point is to be still, to direct as little attention to yourself as possible and instead, direct all attention to what you’re saying. Now, it’s kind of the opposite." [9] Caesar cites Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and The Doors frontman Jim Morrison as musical and stylistic inspirations. [9]

Caesar works in close collaboration with producers Matthew Burnett and Jordan Evans, with whom he co-founded his independent label, Golden Child Recordings, and has co-produced almost all of his music with since 2015. [19] Caesar is also part of an informal collaborative of Toronto-based musicians and songwriters that includes River Tiber, BadBadNotGood, and Charlotte Day Wilson, among others.

Personal life

In March 2019, Caesar received backlash for defending his friend Julieanna Goddard via an Instagram live stream. [20] [21] [22] Goddard had been criticized for her racist comments on Black people, particularly those regarding Black women. [23] [24] [25] He later apologized for his comments. [26] [27]

Discography

Awards and nominations

AwardYear [lower-alpha 1] WorkCategoryResultRef.
American Music Awards 2021 "Peaches"(with Justin Bieber and Giveon)Collaboration of the YearNominated [28]
BET Awards 2017 Daniel CaesarInternational Viewers' Choice AwardNominated [29]
2018 Best Male R&B/Pop Artist Nominated [30]
Best New Artist Nominated
Billboard Music Awards 2022 "Peaches"Top CollaborationNominated [31]
Top R&B SongNominated
Grammy Awards 2018 Freudian Best R&B Album Nominated [32]
"Get You" (with Kali Uchis) Best R&B Performance Nominated
2019 "Best Part" (with H.E.R)Won [33] [34]
2020 "Love Again" (with Brandy)Nominated [35]
2022 Justice (as featured artist and songwriter) Album of the Year Nominated [32]
"Peaches" Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Best R&B Performance Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated
iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards 2017 Daniel CaesarBest New Canadian ArtistNominated [36]
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2019 Daniel CaesarR&B Artist of the YearNominated [37]
2022 "Peaches"Song of the YearNominated [38]
Best CollaborationNominated
Best Music VideoNominated
Juno Awards 2017 Pilgrim's Paradise R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Nominated [39]
2018 Daniel Caesar Artist of the Year Nominated [40]
Freudian R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Won
2020 "Case Study 01"Nominated [41]
2022 "Peaches" Single of the Year Nominated [42]
2023 "Please Do Not Lean" (feat. BadBadNotGood) Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Nominated [43]
MTV Europe Music Awards 2021 "Peaches"Best SongNominated [44]
Best Video Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards 2021 "Peaches" Best Pop Won [45]
Best Collaboration Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
Song of Summer Nominated
People's Choice Awards 2021 "Peaches"The Song of 2021Nominated [46]
The Music Video of 2021Nominated
The Collaboration Song of 2021Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards 2018 Daniel CaesarBest New ArtistWon [47]
Best R&B/Soul Male ArtistNominated
"Broken Clocks"(as songwriter)The Ashford And Simpson Songwriter's AwardNominated
"Best Part"(featuring H.E.R.)Nominated
Best Collaboration PerformanceWon
2019 Daniel CaesarSoul Train Certified AwardNominated [48]
Best R&B/Soul Male ArtistNominated

Other awards

YearCeremonyNominee / workAwardResultRef.
2016 Polaris Music Prize Pilgrim's ParadiseLonglisted [49]
2018 FreudianShortlisted [50]
2020 Case Study 01Longlisted [51]
2023 Never Enough Shortlisted [52]
2016 SOCAN Songwriting Prize "Paradise" (featuring BADBADNOTGOOD)Nominated [53]
2017"Won't Live Here"Nominated
2021 MTV Millennial Awards "Peaches"Global HitNominated
MTV Millennial Awards Brazil Nominated
MTV Video Play Awards Winning VideosWon
NRJ Music Awards International Song of the YearNominated
2022 ASCAP Awards Winning Songwriters & PublishersWon

Concert tours

Headlining

Notes

  1. Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

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<i>Freudian</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Daniel Caesar

Freudian is the debut studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Daniel Caesar. It was released independently on August 25, 2017, by Golden Child Recordings, with distribution from TuneCore. It includes guest appearances from Kali Uchis, H.E.R., Syd, Charlotte Day Wilson and Sean Leon. Production derives from Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, BadBadNotGood, Alex Ernewein, Riley Bell and Jordon Manswell. The album succeeds the 2015 EP Pilgrim's Paradise. The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Album Category, alongside a nomination for Best R&B Performance with "Get You" at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, with "Best Part" with H.E.R. winning Best R&B Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get You (Daniel Caesar song)</span> 2016 single by Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis

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"Best Part" is a song by Canadian singer Daniel Caesar and American singer H.E.R., released in 2017 as a part of Caesar's album Freudian. It is also included in H.E.R.'s self-titled album, released in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Caesar discography</span>

Canadian musician Daniel Caesar has released three studio albums and one studio EP, among many singles including "Get You" featuring Kali Uchis and "Best Part" featuring H.E.R. As a featured artist, his most notable appearance is on the Justin Bieber RIAA 3-times platinum single "Peaches". He often collaborates with other Toronto-based artists like BadBadNotGood, Charlotte Day Wilson, River Tiber, and Sean Leon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peaches (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2021 single by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon

"Peaches" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar and American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released through Def Jam Recordings on March 19, 2021, as the fifth single from the former's sixth studio album, Justice, which was released the same day. First-time collaborators, the artists wrote the song with producers Harv and Shndo, alongside Andrew Watt, Louis Bell, Sean Leon, Harv's wife Felisha King-Harvey of Cherish, Vincent Massi, and Keavan Yazdani. There are two remixes of the song: one that features American musicians Ludacris, Usher, & Snoop Dogg, and the other of which features Nigerian musicians Alpha P, Omah Lay, and Masterkraft.

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