An acute sense of intimacy, emotional boldness, and a soft touch with rough feelings all give Canadian R&B singer/songwriter
Daniel Caesar one of the more unique voices of his craft. Collaboration became the backbone of
Caesar's success, first in the form of several breakthrough singles from his 2017 debut album
Freudian. Duets with peers like
H.E.R. and
Kali Uchis were streamed hundreds of millions of times, and even brought
Caesar Juno awards, multiple Grammy nominations in 2018, and a win at the next year's Grammys for Best R&B Performance. He continued to do some of his best work as a collaborator, scoring his first number one as a part of
Justin Bieber's 2021 single "Peaches" and working with organic instrumental band
BADBADNOTGOOD on early tracks and again on his 2022 track "Please Do Not Lean."
Born Ashton Simmonds in Toronto in 1995, Canadian rapper/singer/songwriter
Daniel Caesar launched his musical career in 2015, slowly releasing tracks online, ranging in style from acoustic pop fare to soul songs bathed in ambient electronics. Early singles included collaborations with renowned live hip-hop/rock hybridists
BADBADNOTGOOD. Following several self-released online EPs, a 2016 single entitled "Get You," featuring vocalist
Kali Uchis, became massively popular, garnering millions of plays and video views within a relatively short span of time. Following the enormous exposure of "Get You,"
Caesar began performing live more frequently in order to quell the newfound demand for his music.
Work on new tracks continued between his concert and festival appearances, and 2017 brought more well-received material: the single "We Find Love" and his debut album,
Freudian. The LP featured several special guests, including
Charlotte Day Wilson, Syd, and
H.E.R. Grammy nominations followed in the categories of Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance (for "Get You"). The single "Who Hurt You?" arrived in late 2018. At the 2019 Grammys,
Caesar took home the trophy for Best R&B Performance for "Best Part," his duet with
H.E.R. that appeared on
Freudian. That same year, he released a mixtape/album on his own Golden Child label titled
CASE STUDY 01. The record featured guest appearances from
Brandy,
Pharrell Williams, and
John Mayer.
Caesar received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance for "Love Again," featuring
Brandy. Through 2021 and 2022,
Caesar appeared as a featured guest on several tracks by other artists. This included work with
FKA Twigs,
Omar Apollo, and
Charlotte Day Wilson, along with a spot on
Justin Bieber's single "Peaches" alongside
Giveon. "Peaches" debuted in the number one spot on the Billboard charts in late March of 2021, making it
Caesar's first chart-topper. In 2022,
Caesar reunited with
BADBADNOTGOOD for his smooth, lushly arranged song "Please Do Not Lean," the first new songwriting from
Caesar since
CASE STUDY 01. ~ Fred Thomas