Ashton 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

EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

, ''Praise Break'' (2014) and ''Pilgrim's Paradise'' (2015), Caesar released his debut studio album, '' Freudian'', in 2017, which received three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominations. He released his second studio album, ''

Case Study 01 ''Case Study 01'' (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Daniel Caesar, released on June 28, 2019, through Golden Child Recordings. It features guest appearances from Brandy, Pharrell Williams, John Ma ...

'', in 2019. Caesar featured alongside Giveon on

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

's 2021 single "

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

", his first number-one song on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Caesar's third studio album, ''Never Enough'' (2023), is his first release under Republic Records.

Early life

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

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

district of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and raised in

Oshawa Oshawa 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 Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...

. He is the second eldest of four children to his mother Hollace Burnett-Simmonds 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 in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. Caesar attended the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...

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 The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

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 1-hour drive from his home.

Career

2013–2017: Career beginnings and ''Freudian''

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 be 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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' 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 "Streetcar", the cover of Kanye West's 2008 song " Street Lights", have become fan favorites. 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."Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List"
''

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

'', 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".

2018–present: ''Case Study 01'' and ''Never Enough''

Caesar released his sophomore studio album, ''Case Study 01'' on June 28, 2019. The album featured guest appearances from

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

, Sean Leon and Jacob Collier. The record was supported by the single, " Love Again" with Brandy which received a nomination for Best R&B Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards. On March 19, 2021, Caesar appeared alongside Giveon on

's "

" from ''

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

''. The track marked Caesar's first to top both the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

and the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was later certified 6x platinum by

Music Canada Music Canada is a non-profit Industry trade group, trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to s ...

and 4x platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Alongside its commercial success, the track garnered four nominations at the

64th Annual Grammy Awards The 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 2020, to September 30, ...

. Caesar released his third studio album, ''Never Enough'', through

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

on April 7, 2023. In October 2024, he appeared on

Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...

's eighth studio album '' Chromakopia'', providing vocals for five tracks on the album, including opening track " St. Chroma" and "Tomorrow", which Caesar co-wrote and performed bass on. The following year, he collaborated with

Rex Orange County Alexander James O'Connor (born 4 May 1998), known professionally as Rex Orange County, is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Grayshott, England. '' NPR Music''s Zoë Jones has described O'Connor's music as "a bright b ...

, creating a two-track release titled “Rearrange My World / There's a Field (That's Only Yours)”.

Inspirations and Artistry

Caesar's stage name derives from a combination of the Roman dictator

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

and the biblical figure Daniel, showing recognition to the topics he explores through his music. His music draws from his childhood experiences and integrates them with R&B and

electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...

, while his lyrics explore subjects of religion, philosophy and unrequited love. In his music, he often references concepts of philosophy. Caesar heavily influenced by

and

, 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 Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

, and

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

frontman

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

as musical and stylistic inspirations. 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. Caesar is also part of an informal collaborative of Toronto-based musicians and songwriters that includes

River Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

BadBadNotGood BadBadNotGood (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian instrumental band and Hip hop production, production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinsk ...

, and Charlotte Day Wilson, among others.

Personal life

In March 2019, Caesar received backlash for defending his friend Julieanna Goddard via an

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

live stream. Goddard had been criticized for her racist comments on Black people, particularly those regarding Black women. He later apologized for his comments.

Discography

* '' Freudian'' (2017) * ''

'' (2019) * '' Never Enough'' (2023)

Awards and nominations

Other awards

Concert tours

Headlining * Freudian, a World Tour (2017–2018) * Case Study 01: Tour (2019) *Almost Enough: The Intimate Sessions (2023) *Superpowers World Tour (2023)

Notes

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 male songwriters Grammy Award winners MTV Video Music Award winners Singers 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 21st-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian singers 21st-century Canadian songwriters