If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or scrolled through a global pop chart in the last five years, you know the name Jawsh 685. He’s the South Auckland teenager who basically conquered the world with a siren beat from his bedroom. When Jason Derulo hopped on that track to create "Savage Love," it was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments that defined the 2020 pandemic era. It was catchy, slightly annoying to some, and impossible to escape.
Fast forward to late 2024. The duo decided to run it back.
The result was Jason Derulo Make Me Happy, a track that dropped on October 4, 2024. Honestly, most "reunion" tracks feel like a desperate attempt to recapture former glory, but this one hit a bit differently. It wasn’t trying to be "Savage Love Part 2." Instead, it leaned into a groovy, almost retro-pop vibe that felt more like a spiritual successor to Pharrell Williams’ "Happy" than a TikTok dance trend.
The Story Behind the Collaboration
Derulo has always been a bit of a shark when it comes to spotting trends. He doesn't just wait for hits; he finds the people making them in their garages and brings them into the studio.
Working with Jawsh 685 again was a deliberate move. While "Savage Love" was a viral explosion, Jason Derulo Make Me Happy was designed as a "tonic." Derulo himself mentioned in interviews around the release that he wanted to create something that could brighten a person's day during a period of global unrest. Music as healing—kinda cheesy, maybe, but it’s a formula that Derulo has mastered over his decade-plus career.
The production team on this record was actually pretty stacked. You’ve got:
- Jawsh 685 (Joshua Nanai) bringing that signature island-style rhythm.
- Elof Loelv, who has worked with artists like Rihanna and Katy Perry.
- Rory Noble, a New Zealand producer known for his versatility.
- Jason Desrouleaux (Derulo's actual last name) taking a lead in the writing process.
It wasn't just a quick "send a vocal file over email" situation. There was real thought put into the layers of the song. The "boom-boom-boom" hook is simple—basic, even—but that's the point. It’s built for radio and, yes, for those inevitable 15-second clips.
Why "Make Me Happy" Feels Different
A lot of people expected another siren beat. We didn't get that. Instead, we got a track that focuses on "take-home kind of love." The lyrics describe searching for something permanent after "playing cards all wrong."
It’s surprisingly vulnerable for a guy whose most famous lyric is often just his own name.
- Vocal Performance: Derulo actually sings on this one. Not just the auto-tuned riffs, but real, centered vocals that show off his range.
- The Groove: It has a walking bassline that feels very 2014-era pop, which, interestingly, is coming back into style in 2026.
- The Message: It's a "feel-good" song that doesn't feel forced.
Some critics argued it was "frivolous." And sure, it’s a three-minute pop song. It’s not a Kendrick Lamar diss track or a Taylor Swift folklore-style epic. But in the world of pop, frivolous is often exactly what people are looking for on a Friday afternoon.
The Impact on the "Nu King" Era
The song dropped right as Derulo was riding the wave of his Nu King album and subsequent world tour. By the time 2025 rolled around, and as we move into the 2026 "Last Dance World Tour," Jason Derulo Make Me Happy has become a staple of the live set. It’s the kind of song that gets the crowd moving without needing the massive production of "Swalla" or "Talk Dirty."
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It also solidified Jawsh 685 as more than just a one-hit-wonder producer. Proving you can collaborate twice with a superstar and have both tracks land is a big deal in the industry. It showed that their chemistry wasn't just a fluke of the 2020 algorithm.
Analyzing the Lyrics: Is There a Deeper Meaning?
Sorta. If you look at the lines: "I should've known it all along / That I played my cards all wrong," you see a recurring theme in Derulo’s recent work. He’s moving away from the "single man in the club" persona and toward something a bit more reflective of his actual life as a father and a veteran of the music industry.
He’s talked about the song being a "healing tonic." When you’re at a Jason Derulo show in 2026, you can see that reflected in the audience. It’s a mix of Gen Zers who know him from TikTok and Millennials who remember "Whatcha Say." Jason Derulo Make Me Happy bridges that gap. It’s safe for the kids and catchy enough for the parents.
What to Do Next
If you’re looking to add this to your rotation or want to dive deeper into the Derulo/Jawsh 685 rabbit hole, here is the best way to experience it:
- Listen to the Lyric Video: The official lyric video on YouTube gives a better sense of the production nuances than a standard radio edit.
- Compare it to "Savage Love": Play them back-to-back. You’ll notice how much more polished the production on "Make Me Happy" is compared to the raw, bedroom-pop feel of their first collab.
- Check out the 2026 Tour Dates: Derulo is currently on "The Last Dance World Tour." If you want to see if the high-energy choreography for this track lives up to the hype, catching a live show is the only way to do it.
- Explore Jawsh 685’s Solo Work: The producer has a whole catalog of "Siren Beats" that never made it to the mainstream but are huge in the Pacific music scene. It’s worth a deep dive if you like that specific rhythmic bounce.
Ultimately, Jason Derulo Make Me Happy isn't just another single on a long discography. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best move for a pop star is to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and just give people a reason to smile for three minutes.
To get the full experience, head over to Spotify or Apple Music and look for the single version released under Creativ Genius Records—it has a slightly cleaner mix than the version found on some early 2024 compilations.