Tattoos is the third studio album by American singer Jason Derulo which features guest appearances from 2 Chainz, DJ Frank E, Jordin Sparks, Pitbull, and The Game. The album was released on September 20, 2013, through Beluga Heights Records and Warner Bros. Records. Incorporating a base core of R&B, pop and electronic dance music with some adult contemporary and soul music, Derulo wanted the album to be "totally different" from his previous albums and show the growth in his writing and his overall performance. Derulo co-wrote every song on the album. Its production was handled by RedOne, Ricky Reed, DJ Frank E, Jonas Jeberg and Martin Johnson, as well as others.
The album was preceded by the lead single "The Other Side", which peaked at number two in the UK. A second single, "Talk Dirty", featuring American rapper 2 Chainz, was released on August 2, 2013, topped the charts in 14 countries. Follow-up singles "Marry Me" was released a month before the album and reached the top-ten in Australia and top-twenty in New Zealand, whilst "Trumpets" was released in November 2013, peaking at number one in Australia. Derulo supported the album with The Tattoos World Tour. Upon its release, the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics, that were ambivalent towards its production and lyrical content. Tattoos debuted at number five on the Australian Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart, where it became his highest-charting album in that country.
Background
In January 2011, during rehearsals for his then upcoming "Future History World Tour", Derulo was practicing a stunt when he fell and broke his C2 vertebrae – leaving him in a neck brace for six months and forcing him to cancel his first headlining tour. "I was not able to dance, I couldn't even really bop my head. It's the simple things that you take for granted — not being able to perform for that amount of time, and also knowing that it could be gone in an instant." said Jason during an interview. "I wouldn't change the accident for anything because I've grown so much from it," Jason admits. Derulo then decided to channel all of this creative energy into studio time, on writing and recording his third album. He had written over 300 songs, recorded between 100 and 120 of those songs for the album and had to narrow them down to 12. A very difficult process for him as he states "I wanted to be sure that the album was a roller coaster ride, that every single song was totally different from the last... I wanted to be sure this album was far different from that one, to make sure that the growth was present. I'm 23 now. I really wanted this album to be a direct representation of who I am. I didn't want to hide anything. This album, I wanted to tell a story.
In the United States, Tattoos was only released as a 5-track extended play (EP); a full-length U.S.-exclusive version of the album titled Talk Dirty was released on April 15, 2014. The new songs on the album include new collaboration with rappers Kid Ink, Snoop Dogg and Tyga while the album's production was handled by Timbaland, The Cataracs, Ammo, Jon Bellion, DJ Mustard, Martin Johnson, RedOne, and Ricky Reed. The album includes all of the singles released from the international album including "Marry Me", "Talk Dirty" featuring 2 Chainz, "Stupid Love", "Trumpets" and "The Other Side" as well as the duet with his girlfriend Jordin Sparks on "Vertigo" and four additional newly recorded songs.
Title and artwork
On July 23, 2013, Derulo announced the title of third studio album would be Tattoos. The title of the album was inspired by the months of rehabilitation during the recording process after he injured his neck while preparing for his tour. In an interview with Access Hollywood Live, when speaking of the album's title Derulo said: On August 8, 2013, just over a month away from its US release, after his performance on America's Got Talent, Derulo revealed the album's official artwork. The artwork is an illustration of Jason which shows a profile of his face, with designs shaved into his hair and the album's title written in ink on the side of his neck against a yellow shaded background. The Japanese edition is titled Tattoos on My Heart. The U.S. edition of the album will be titled Talk Dirty after the single of the same name and will include a brand new track list only for the United States. The front cover was illustrated by Kadir Nelson.