Taio Cruz
Biography
Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, known professionally as Taio Cruz, is a British singer, songwriter, and record producer born in London, England on April 23, 1980, to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother. He began writing songs at an early age and landed a publishing deal at 17.
Early Career and Songwriting
Cruz's career began as a songwriter, and he gained early recognition for co-writing Will Young's 2004 single "Your Game," which won a Brit Award for Best British Single in 2005. This success led to a recording contract, and in 2006, he released his debut single, "I Just Wanna Know," which entered the UK charts. He founded his own record label, Rokstarr Music London, the same year.
Rise to International Fame
Departure (2008)
Cruz released his debut album, "Departure," in 2008, which he wrote and produced himself. The album was certified gold in the UK and included the top 5 hit "Come On Girl" and other charting singles like "I Can Be" and "She's Like a Star". For this album, he received a MOBO Award nomination.
Rokstarr (2009) and Global Success
His second album, "Rokstarr" (2009), launched him to international stardom. The lead single, "Break Your Heart," reached number one in the UK and the US. This was followed by the massive global hit "Dynamite," which also topped charts worldwide and won three Billboard Music Awards. The album also featured successful collaborations, including "Dirty Picture" with Kesha and "Higher" featuring Kylie Minogue.
Songwriting for Other Artists
Throughout his career, Cruz has continued to write for other prominent artists. He has penned songs for Jennifer Lopez ("I'm Into You"), David Guetta ("Without You" featuring Usher), Cheryl Cole, and JLS.
Later Career and Other Ventures
TY.O (2011) and Beyond
His third studio album, "TY.O," was released in 2011 and featured the successful single "Hangover" with Flo Rida. Another single from the album, "There She Goes," featured Pitbull. In 2012, Cruz performed at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London. After this period, he shifted his focus from albums to releasing collections of singles.
Business and Recent Activities
In 2009, Cruz launched a fashion and accessories brand called Rokstarr, which later became RXTR. In 2013, he launched a social media app called Kewe. More recently, Cruz has been less active in the music industry. In 2020, he briefly joined TikTok but left the platform citing negative experiences, and subsequently released a track titled "2020".