Pop, R&B singer Jason Derulo to headline Gator Growl Homecoming weekend

Veronia Nocera
·2 min read
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Pop and R&B hits from 2010s will set the soundtrack for this year’s Homecoming weekend at the University of Florida.

Singer-songwriter Jason Derulo will take the Stephen O’Connell Center stage Oct. 5 for Gator Growl, kicking off UF’s 2023 Homecoming festivities with his headline performance.  Tickets are now available for anyone eager to snag a  front-row seat.

Born and raised in Miramar, Florida, Derulo’s 14-year-long solo career includes hits like “Wiggle,” “Talk Dirty” and “Watcha Say.” A 2020 remix of his song “Savage Love” featuring South Korean boy band BTS reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Derulo is a popular figure for students at UF, many of whom grew up listening to his songs, said Taylor Fishman, this year’s Homecoming general chair.

“We’re excited because a lot of people love his music,” she said. “It’s really nostalgic for a lot of people our age.”

Jason Derulo performs during the annual Walmart shareholders meeting event on June 1, 2018 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Jason Derulo performs during the annual Walmart shareholders meeting event on June 1, 2018 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Gator Growl, one of the nation’s largest student-run pep rallies, has been a UF tradition for almost a century, and it has since become a valued part of Homecoming weekend. In addition to musical acts, the night is filled with performances by UF cheerleaders, the Dazzlers and the Pride of the Sunshine Marching Band. The event is hosted by someone who has yet to be announced.

Other recent headliners included rappers Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida and Gunna.

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On Oct. 5, Derulo will be accompanied by American rapper, singer and songwriter Sammy Adams, whose first studio album, “The Long Way,” debuted in 2016.

Doors at the O’Connell Center will open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.

UF student and general public ticket sales for Gator Growl began on Sept. 1 on Ticketmaster and via www.gatorgrowl.org. Tickets range from $45 to $90, and UF students can use their UFIDs as an offer code at checkout to receive up to four discounted tickets.

This year, UF Homecoming is also celebrating its centennial, Fishman said.

Since Gator Growl will be the first big event of Homecoming weekend, she said she hopes the pep rally will set the tone for the rest of the weekend — encouraging people to come out to the Homecoming Parade on Oct. 6 and the football game against Vanderbilt University on Oct. 7.

“It’s a special weekend every year,” Fishman said. “We’re excited to have it again for the hundredth year and to celebrate it, hopefully, for a hundred more years after that.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Jason Derulo to headline UF's Gator Growl for Homecoming weekend