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, ''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 i ...

'', in August 2017, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. 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 ...

'', in June 2019. In March 2021, Caesar was featured alongside

Giveon Giveon Dezmann Evans (born February 21, 1995), better known by his mononym Giveon (stylized as GIVĒON), is an American singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his collaboration with Drake on their 2020 single, " Chicago Freestyle". That s ...

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 The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fuz ...

", 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 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, su ...

district of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

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 Ca ...

, 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 G ...

. 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 His ...

. Caesar attended the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church 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 Sabbath, and ...

and private school in Oshawa. He is of

Bajan Bajan may refer to: Geography and culture Barbados * Barbadians, known by the colloquialism Bajan(s) (pronounced 'bay-jun') * Barbadian English language * Bajan Creole, a Creole language Other location * Something or someone from Baja ...

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 ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

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 an ...

delivered through

musicality Musicality (''music-al -ity'') is "sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music" or "the quality or state of being musical", and is used to refer to specific if vaguely defined qualities in pieces and/or genres of music, such as melodiousness ...

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, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' 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 A street light, light pole, lamp pole, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or path. Similar lights may be found on a railway platform. When urban electric power distribution ...

" 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."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 The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongc ...

, Caesar received two nominations for

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. Honors ...

and

Best R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...

for "Get You". At the

61st Annual Grammy Awards The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...

, Caesar won Best R&B Performance for his single " Best Part". On March 19, 2021, Caesar was also featured alongside American singer-songwriter

on fellow Canadian singer

's single "

", 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 Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dic ...

. In his music, he often references concepts of philosophy. His singing voice reshapes itself on each track, often veering into a hushed, introspective

lilting Lilting is a form of traditional singing common in the Goidelic speaking areas of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Mann. It goes under many names, and is sometimes referred to as ''diddling'' (generally in England and Scotland), ''mouth music' ...

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 Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, and

The Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, 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 ro ...

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 music, rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredicta ...

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 rap. ...

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 ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the 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 Riv ...

BadBadNotGood BadBadNotGood (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they wer ...

, and Charlotte Day Wilson, among others.

Controversy

In April 2018, Caesar retweeted and then deleted tweets from conservative

Candace Owens Candace Amber Owens Farmer ( Owens; born April 29, 1989) is an American conservative author, talk show host, political commentator, and activist. Initially critical of United States President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Owens has bee ...

. 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) * ''

'' (2019)

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - ,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, rowspan="3", Himself , International Viewers' Choice Award , , , - , rowspan="2" ,

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

, Best Male R&B/Pop Artist , , rowspan="2" , , - ,

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

Grammy Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - , rowspan="2" ,

, ''Freudian'' ,

, , rowspan="2" , , - , "Get You" , rowspan="3" ,

, , - ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, " Best Part" , , , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''

'' (as featured artist and songwriter) , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan="4", "

" (with

and

) ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, , - , Song of the Year , , - ,

, , - ,

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

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - ,

, Himself , Best New Canadian Artist , ,

iHeartRadio Music Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - ,

, Himself , R&B Artist of the Year , , , - , rowspan=3,

, rowspan=3, "Peaches" , Song of the Year , , rowspan=3, , - , Best Collaboration , , - , Best Music Video ,

Juno Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - ,

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

, Himself ,

Artist of the Year ''Artist of the Year'' is a television competition shown on the Sky Arts channel (formerly known as Artsworld and Sky Arts 1) which aims to find the best portrait and landscape painter every year. Overview Through several rounds of regional comp ...

, , rowspan="2", , - , ''Freudian'' , rowspan="2", R&B/Soul Recording of the Year , , - ,

, "Case Study 01" , , , - ,

, "Peaches" , Single of the Year , ,

MTV Video Music Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - , rowspan=4,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, rowspan=4, "Peaches" , Best Pop , , rowspan=4, , - , Best Collaboration , , - , Best Editing , , - ,

Song of Summer ''Song of Summer'' is a 1968 black-and-white television film co-written, produced, and directed by Ken Russell for the BBC's '' Omnibus'' series which was first broadcast on 15 September 1968. It portrays the final six years of Frederick Delius ...

Polaris Music Prize

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, ''Pilgrim's Paradise'' , rowspan="3",

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 ...

, , , - ,

, ''Freudian'' , , , - ,

, ''Case Study 01'' , ,

SOCAN Songwriting Prize

Soul Train Music Awards

! scope="col" class="unsortable" , , - , rowspan="5",

, rowspan="2", Himself , Best New Artist , , rowspan="5", , - , Best R&B/Soul Male Artist , , - , "

Broken Clocks "Broken Clocks" is a song by the American singer SZA. The song was originally released as the first promotional single on June 2, 2017, from her debut studio album, ''Ctrl''. It was later sent to urban contemporary radio as the album's fourth si ...

" , rowspan="2", The Ashford And Simpson Songwriter's Award , , - , rowspan="2", " Best Part" , , - , Best Collaboration Performance , , - , rowspan="2",

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

Other awards

Concert tours

Headlining * Freudian, a World Tour (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