2010 is shaping up as the year of Taio Cruz, who exploded into the record books with his debut U.S. single on Mercury Records, “Break Your Heart” (featuring Ludacris) – which scored the Billboard Hot 100’s biggest one-week jump to #1 (from #53) by any New Artist’s debut single in the chart’s history. “Break Your Heart” sets the stage for the June 1st release of Taio’s first U.S. album ROKSTARR on Mercury Records.
In a major coup for a UK artist, Taio has been chosen for the third round of MySpace Music’s 12-week “Introducing…” program, starting with the exclusive May 6th premiere of his second U.S. single “Dynamite.” (The track impacts June 1st at Pop and Rhythm radio formats, same day as the album release) On May 24th, the “Introducing…” program will premiere the video for a third track, “Dirty Picture” featuring Ke$ha, currently a Top 10 UK hit for Taio.
As “Break Your Heart” begins its second month inside the Top 5 this week on the Hot 100 – with more than 1.8 million digital sales and a radio audience approaching 100 million – BRIT Award-nominated star Taio Cruz is currently criss-crossing the U.S. on his first promotional tour. Hitting more than 20 cities along the way, Taio is gearing up for live performances on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (May 17th) and ABC’s Live with Regis & Kelly (June 3rd). ROKSTARR is available for pre-order through the iTunes music store NOW.
Taio is established as a major UK artist with two Top 20 albums and a string of top-charted hits that culminated in “Break Your Heart,” #1 in the UK for three weeks last fall. It was the lead single from Taio’s second album there, Rokstarr, released late-2009 in the UK – the U.S. edition on Mercury will differ from its UK counterpart.
In less than two years, Taio Cruz has become the go-to producer and songwriter for an A-list of American and UK performers. In the wake of success of his debut album Departure (2008), which spun off a quintet of UK chart hits (“I Just Wanna Know,” “Moving On,” “Come On Girl,” “I Can Be,” “She’s Like a Star”), Taio was tapped to work in the studio with X Factor champs Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis, and Shayne Ward. Sessions followed in Philadelphia with Britney Spears, and Brandy. The year climaxed at the MOBO Awards with a Best Single nomination for “She’s Like a Star,” which Taio performed with Sugababes.
With the completion of Rokstarr in 2009, overlapping the success of “Break Your Heart,” Taio kept himself busy writing and producing for Cheryl Cole’s double-platinum UK debut album 3 Words. Taio also scored his second #1 UK single as writer of the Tinchy Stryder/Amelle smash “Never Leave You”; Taio previously wrote and is featured on Tinchy’s Top 3 hit “Take Me Back.”
In addition to writing and producing, 25-year old Taio Cruz is an accomplished multi-instrumental musician. The son of a Nigerian father and Brazilian mother, Taio is the founder and CEO of his own Rokstarr Entertainment Division (R.E.D.), formerly known as Rokstarr Music London, established in 2006.
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