Jason Derulo was a bit selfish during the recording process of his third album, 'Talk Dirty' and his actions should be commended. The singer used the creative process as a self-therapy session following a neck injury that almost left him paralyzed in 2012. As a result of immersing himself in his work, the project's lead single of the same name -- a saxophone-laden track with sensual lyrics like "Been around the world don't speak the language / But your booty don't need explainin'" -- shot to the top of the charts this month. If the song wasn't familiar before, it surely is now.

Overall, the project's culmination was a cathartic experience. "The album title came about from basically people not really knowing who Jason Derulo is," the 24-year-old tells The Boombox inside Avatar Studios in New York City. "You’ve heard all the songs on the radio like ‘I know that song,’ ‘Oh, I knew that song too.’ But who is Jason Derulo? During the process of recording this album, it was almost as if it was selfish. I started making this album in the first place because I had an injury. I had to cancel my world tour so I was at home. Instead of staying in that dark place I decided to turn to music like I always do. There were no time limits, there were no deadlines. It was just me going in the studio so that I could feel better about myself."

With song sales of over 19 million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, Derulo is accustomed to winning. But his mentality while crafting the follow-up to 2011's 'Future History' was not centered on making a hit -- it was about being honest. "The material in turn just was about me either having a good time or me talking about how I fell in love or all these different things that were just happening in my life with just the truth," he shares. "All the truth or me just having a good time acting a fool. That’s my personality."

From songs like the carefree ode ‘Trumpets’ to the tender ballad 'Marry Me' (dedicated to his real-life sweetheart Jordin Sparks), 'Talk Dirty' showcases Derulo's different dimensions. And just like the album title suggests, the Miami native is indulging in some bawdy behavior as well. For Derulo, there's no time like the present to do just that.

"My biggest life lesson is living every day like it’s my last," he explains. "As cliche as that sounds I don’t take anything for granted anymore. I’ll be onstage in front of thousands of people and sometimes I’ll just stop and soak it all in now. I don’t want to say that I took things for granted before but sometimes it takes losing everything to understand what you had or what you have. There was a point where I didn’t know if I was gonna walk again let alone get on a stage and dance and sing again. I’m very, very blessed in my life."

Experience the other side of Jason Derulo as he performs 'Talk Dirty' and showcases his footwork with a crew of dancers for The Boombox's Off the Record series.

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