Daniel Caesar

A distinctive blend of closeness, daring sentiment, and gentle handling of intense emotions distinguishes Canadian R&B artist and composer Daniel Caesar among his contemporaries. Partnerships proved central to his rise, beginning with multiple breakthrough tracks from his 2017 debut full-length Freudian. Joint efforts alongside peers such as H.E.R. and Kali Uchis accumulated hundreds of millions of streams, securing him a Juno Award, several 2018 Grammy nominations, and the following year’s Grammy for Best R&B Performance. He maintained his strongest output through further collaborations, achieving his first chart-topping Canadian and U.S. pop single as a featured performer on Justin Bieber’s 2021 release “Peaches.” Operating as the primary artist, Caesar persisted in charting an independent course via the 2023 album Never Enough.

Born Ashton Simmonds in Toronto in 1995, Daniel Caesar initiated his recording career in 2014 by gradually issuing material online that spanned acoustic pop to soul steeped in atmospheric electronics. Early releases encompassed partnerships with the acclaimed live hip-hop/rock fusion group BadBadNotGood. After multiple self-distributed EPs appeared online, the 2016 track “Get You,” featuring vocalist Kali Uchis, gained substantial traction, amassing millions of streams and views in a brief period. The wide exposure surrounding “Get You” prompted Caesar to increase his live engagements to meet growing audience interest.

Creation of fresh material proceeded amid touring and festival commitments, yielding additional favorably received 2017 offerings: the single “We Find Love” and the debut album Freudian. That LP included contributions from Charlotte Day Wilson, Syd, and H.E.R. Nominations at the Grammys followed in Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance (for “Get You”). The single “Who Hurt You?” surfaced in late 2018. At the 2019 Grammys, Caesar claimed the award for Best R&B Performance with “Best Part,” his duet with H.E.R. featured on Freudian. Later that year he issued the mixtape/album CASE STUDY 01 on his own Golden Child imprint, which contained appearances by Brandy, Pharrell Williams, and John Mayer. Caesar earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance for the Brandy-assisted “Love Again.”

Throughout 2021 and 2022 he contributed guest vocals to tracks by FKA twigs, Omar Apollo, and Charlotte Day Wilson, plus a featured role on Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” alongside Giveon. The song reached number one on pop charts in Canada, the U.S., and additional territories while receiving Grammy nods for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best R&B Performance. In 2022 Caesar rejoined BadBadNotGood for the smooth, richly textured “Please Do Not Lean,” marking his initial new lead single since CASE STUDY 01. He opened 2023 with the introspective “Do You Like Me?,” a collaboration involving Raphael Saadiq and Sir Dylan (son of Saadiq’s Tony! Toni! Toné! bandmate D’wayne Wiggins). Subsequent releases “Let Me Go” and “Valentina” served as further glimpses of Never Enough, Caesar’s third album, which arrived that April.