Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds (born April 5, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed

EPs EPS, EPs or Eps may refer to: Commerce and finance * Earnings per share * Electronic Payment Services, in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, China * Express Payment System, in the Philippines Education * Edmonton Public Schools, in Edmonton, Al ...

, ''Praise Break'' (2014) and ''Pilgrim's Paradise'' (2015), Caesar released his debut studio album, ''

Freudian Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts ...

'', in August 2017, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. He released his second studio album, '' Case Study 01'', in June 2019. In March 2021, Caesar was featured alongside Giveon on

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

's single " Peaches", which serves as his first number-one song on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Life and career

Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds was born on April 5, 1995, in the Scarborough district of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, and raised in

Oshawa Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the ...

. 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 Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

. Caesar attended the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...

and private school in Oshawa. He is of Bajan and Jamaican descent. Caesar grew up in church, singing before his father's congregation in Oshawa. He was raised listening to

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

delivered through musicality and religion, even though his parents were cautious of temptations that came with music. Caesar longed for the city, which was an hour’s drive from his home. 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. He felt no choice but to pursue his calling as a musician. 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 by his debut EP ''Praise Break'' in 2014; it was No. 19 on the "20 Best R&B Albums of 2014" by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' and the top projects of 2014 by Noisey Canada. Caesar's career gained notability in 2015, with the release of his second EP, ''Pilgrim's Paradise''. The album received positive critical acclaim and, while not immediately a commercial success, tracks like the cover " Streetlights" became sleeper hits. On August 25, 2017, Caesar released his debut album ''

'', which includes the singles "Get You", "We Find Love", and "Blessed". The album was a shortlisted finalist for the

2018 Polaris Music Prize The 2018 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 17, 2018.

."Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List"
''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', July 17, 2018. At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Caesar received two nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for "Get You". At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, Caesar won Best R&B Performance for his single " Best Part". On March 19, 2021, Caesar was also featured alongside American singer-songwriter Giveon on fellow Canadian singer

's single " Peaches", from the latter's sixth studio album, ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'', which became his first chart-topping single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Artistry

Caesar's music is influenced by

and

. His music draws from his childhood experiences and integrates them with R&B and

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

, 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. 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." Caesar cites

Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

, Beyoncé, and

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

frontman

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and e ...

as musical and stylistic inspirations. Caesar works in close collaboration with producers

Matthew Burnett Matthew Raymond Burnett (born July 24, 1991) is a Canadian record producer, musical director and manager from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who has worked with a number of major recording artists in various genres from R&B to soul, hip hop and r ...

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. Caesar is also part of an informal collaborative of Toronto-based musicians and songwriters that includes River Tiber, BadBadNotGood, and

Charlotte Day Wilson Charlotte Day Wilson (born 1993) is a Canadian contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.

, among others.

Controversy

In April 2018, Caesar retweeted and then deleted tweets from conservative Candace Owens. He noted that he did not want to "martyr" for the tweets and that people should hear opposing arguments. He later backtracked his comments. Also in April 2018, Caesar did not credit Jeremy Passion's "Lemonade" for lyrics to his song "Best Part" (with H.E.R.). In March 2019, Caesar defended his friend Julieanna Goddard via an Instagram live stream. Goddard had been criticized for her insensitive comments on race, particularly those regarding black women. Caesar came to her defense, asking why some black people were "being so mean," and called call out culture overly sensitive. His comments were received negatively by some on social media. Caesar later apologized for the way he gave his opinions, saying: "I was talking down to you guys. I apologize for how I expressed my idea, ere was no one there to challenge my ideas. That’s also dangerous. That’s why it’s tyrannical... that is where I went wrong. I believe in what I said. A real man can admit when he’s wrong. I can admit when I’m wrong."

Discography

* ''

'' (2017) * '' Case Study 01'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

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Grammy Awards

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, " Best Part" , , , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

, " Love Again" , , rowspan="6", , - , rowspan="5", 2022 , ''

'' (as featured artist and songwriter) ,

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

, , - , rowspan="4", " Peaches" (with

and Giveon) , Record of the Year , , - ,

Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...

, , - , Best R&B Performance , , - ,

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

, , -

iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards

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, Himself , Best New Canadian Artist , ,

iHeartRadio Music Awards

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Juno Awards

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, ''Pilgrim's Paradise'' , R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 2018 , Himself , Artist of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , ''Freudian'' , rowspan="2", R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , - ,

, "Case Study 01" , , , - , 2022 , "Peaches" , Single of the Year , ,

MTV Video Music Awards

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Best Editing This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

, , - , Song of Summer ,

Polaris Music Prize

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Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was incr ...

, , , - , 2018 , ''Freudian'' , , , - ,

, ''Case Study 01'' , ,

SOCAN Songwriting Prize

Soul Train Music Awards

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, rowspan="2", Himself , Soul Train Certified Award , , rowspan="2", , - , Best R&B/Soul Male Artist , , -

Other awards

Concert tours

Headlining *

Freudian, a World Tour The Freudian, a World Tour was the debut headlining concert tour by Canadian recording artist Daniel Caesar. The tour was in support of his debut album, '' Freudian'' (2017). The tour played over 50 dates in North America, Europe, Asia and Austra ...

(2017–18) * Case Study 01: Tour (2019)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Caesar, Daniel 1995 births Living people Canadian people of Barbadian descent Canadian people of Jamaican descent Canadian contemporary R&B singers Canadian songwriters Grammy Award winners Musicians from Toronto Alternative R&B musicians Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners Writers from Toronto 21st-century Black Canadian male singers