Virginia To Vegas
Background information
Birth nameDerik John Baker
Born (1990-01-31) January 31, 1990 (age 34)
Virginia, United States
OriginGuelph, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
Years active2013–present
Labels
Websitewww.virginiatovegas.com Edit this at Wikidata

Derik John Baker (born January 31, 1990), known as Virginia To Vegas, is an American-born Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. He is based in Toronto, Ontario.[1] He is best known for his gold and platinum-certified singles, "We Are Stars", "Lights Out", "Selfish", "Just Friends" and "Betterman", released through Wax Records and Ultra Records.

Beginnings

Although Derik John Baker was born in the United States, he was raised in Guelph and Toronto, Ontario, where he attended high school at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School . After high school, Derik attended Sheridan College for studies in Travel and Tourism.

Career

2013–2014: Career beginnings and Vol. I

Virginia To Vegas was signed to an independent full service 100% Canadian music company Wax Records in July 2013, after label executive, Jamie Appleby, discovered him on YouTube. The first single "We Are Stars" was released on January 7, 2014, and entered the Canadian Singles Top 100 chart at 94 on week 5, February 1, 2014, peaked at 14 and stayed for one week.[2] On November 10, 2014, Virginia to Vegas released his debut EP Vol. I, which includes his Platinum-certified debut single "We Are Stars".[3][4]

2015–2016: Utopian

Virginia to Vegas released a new single, "Our Story", on May 4, 2015.[5] On September 2, 2016, he released a new single, "Lights Out", which samples Rockwell's 1984 single, "Somebody's Watching Me".[6] That fall, he announced that his debut studio album would be released by the end of 2016.[7] Utopian was released on December 2, 2016 and features all four of his singles released through that date.[8] This was when he first got signed to a U.S record company of Ultra Records.

2017–2019: Hartland St.

On February 24, 2017, Virginia To Vegas released a new single called "Selfish".[9] On November 8, he released another single called "Emotions".[10] His next single "Yesterday" was released on October 12, 2018.[11] Finally, he released "Just Friends" on May 24, 2019.[12] All these songs are featured on his second EP Hartland St., which was released on June 14, 2019.[13] Hartland Street is the name of the actual street he lives on in real life. This was when he moved to, was living in, and was leaving Los Angeles at a time.

2020–2022: A Constant State of Improvement and Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming

Only months after the release of Hartland St., Virginia To Vegas released the single "Betterman" on February 14, 2020, followed by an EP titled A Constant State of Improvement on February 28, 2020, which includes the song "Betterman". On October 30, 2020, he released another EP, Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming,[14] which includes the lead single "Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)", released on September 18.[15] In September 2021, he collaborated with MacKenzie Porter on the single "This Sucks.".[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Utopian
  • Released: December 2, 2016
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: CD, digital download
Life Gets Interesting...
  • Released: February 17, 2023
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: CD, digital download
Track listing[17]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "Casamigos"
  • 3. "Amnesia"
  • 4. "Outerspace"
  • 5. "No Excuses"
  • 6. "Break Up with That Guy."
  • 7. "Over You"
  • 8. "R.I.P."
  • 9. "You Don't Know"
  • 10. "Drunk"

Extended plays

Title EP details
Vol. I
  • Released: November 10, 2014
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[18]
  • 1. "Last of the Fighters"
  • 2. "We Are Stars" (featuring Alyssa Reid)
  • 3. "Make It Last"
  • 4. "Colourful"
  • 5. "Don't Fight the Music"
  • 6. "Beautiful"
Hartland St.
  • Released: June 14, 2019
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[13]
  • 1. "Just Friends"
  • 2. "Internet"
  • 3. "Selfish"
  • 4. "Yesterday"
  • 5. "Emotions"
  • 6. "Losing Touch"
A Constant State of Improvement
  • Released: February 28, 2020
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[19]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "What Are We"
  • 3. "Betterman"
  • 4. "One on One"
  • 5. "Better with You"
Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming
  • Released: October 30, 2020
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[14]
  • 1. "Intro"
  • 2. "Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)"
  • 3. "Flyby." (with Mokita)
  • 4. "Told You So"
  • 5. "Cry"
  • 6. "Sunny Days"
It's a Little Complicated, But I'm Okay.
  • Released: February 4, 2022
  • Label: Wax
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[20]
  • 1. "Amnesia"
  • 2. "No Excuses"
  • 3. "Outerspace"

Compilation extended plays

Title EP details
L.A. in the Rear View
Track listing[21]
  • 1. "Just Friends"
  • 2. "Betterman"
  • 3. "What Are We"
  • 4. "Told You So"
  • 5. "Better with You"
  • 6. "Sunny Days"
Remember That Time We
  • Released: May 20, 2022
  • Label: Wax, FP
  • Format: Digital download
Track listing[22]

Singles

As lead artist

Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Album
CAN
[23] 		CAN
AC
[24] 		CAN CHR
[25] 		CAN
Hot AC
[26]
2014 "We Are Stars"
(featuring Alyssa Reid) 		14 13 11 14 Utopian
"Don't Fight the Music" 97 30 33 36
2015 "Our Story" — — 47 32
2016 "Lights Out" 40 12 10 14
2017 "Selfish" 72 11 9 12 Hartland St.
"Emotions" — — 34 39
2018 "Yesterday" — — 30 —
2019 "Just Friends" 50 5 8 3
2020 "Betterman" 48 8 15 6 A Constant State of Improvement
"Palm Springs (The Way You Made Me Feel)"[15] — — 27 41 Don't Wake Me, I'm Dreaming
2021 "Malibu"[28]
(with NOTD) 		— — 24 29 Remember That Time We
"This Sucks."[29]
(with MacKenzie Porter) 		— — 26 42
2022 "No Excuses" 61 7 12 11 Life Gets Interesting...
"Daydreaming"[30]
(with Noelle) 		99 14 20 29 Non-album singles
2023 "Last Christmas"
(featuring Tyler Shaw, Lolo, New Friends, Noelle, Shawn Hook) 		— — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

As featured artist

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
CAN
[31] 		CAN
AC
[32] 		CAN CHR
[33] 		CAN
Hot AC
[34]
2021 "Just as Much"
(Delaney Jane featuring Virginia to Vegas) 		71 15 11 21 Somewhere Else

Promotional singles

Year Single Album
2014 "Colourful" Vol. I
2021 "Amnesia"[35] Life Gets Interesting...
2022 "You Don't Know"[36]
"Break Up with That Guy."[37]

Awards

Virginia to Vegas performed at the 2014 Canadian Radio Music Awards where he was nominated for the Heartseeker Award. His radio success with his first three singles "We Are Stars", "Don't Fight the Music", and "Our Story" contributed to him being nominated for Pop Artist or Group of the Year at the 2015 Sirius XM Indie Awards.[38]

"We Are Stars", "Lights Out" and "Selfish" all earned Virginia to Vegas Socan awards for pop recordings of the year.

In 2015 Virginia to Vegas was awarded at the Canadian Radio Music Awards for the Factor Breakthrough Artist of the Year.

He received a Juno Award nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018.[39]

References

  1. ^ "Virginia to Vegas in Studio". CHFI. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Virginia to Vegas and Alyssa Reid – We Are Stars". ACharts.us. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Virginia to Vegas". The Feldman Agency. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  4. ^ Pham, Vivian. "Listen—Virginia To Vegas Releases New Single 'Colourful'". Pop Dust. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Don't Fight the Music – Virginia to Vegas | Release Info". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  6. ^ Kennedy, John R (8 November 2016). "Virginia to Vegas Channels Rockwell In 'Lights Out'". iHeartRadio. iHeartMedia. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  7. ^ Doole, Kerry (25 November 2016). "Virginia To Vegas: Lights Out". FYI Music News. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Utopian by Virginia to Vegas". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Selfish – Single by Virginia to Vegas on Apple Music", iTunes Store (Canada), retrieved 6 July 2019
  10. ^ "Emotions – Single by Virginia to Vegas on Apple Music", iTunes Store (Canada), retrieved 6 July 2019
  11. ^ "Yesterday – Single by Virginia to Vegas on Apple Music", iTunes Store (Canada), retrieved 6 July 2019
  12. ^ "Just Friends – Single by Virginia to Vegas on Apple Music", iTunes Store, retrieved 6 July 2019
  13. ^ a b "Hartland St. – EP by Virginia to Vegas". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  14. ^ a b "don't wake me, i'm dreaming – EP by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Palm Springs (the way you made me feel) – Single by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  16. ^ Doole, Kerry (19 September 2021). "Virginia To Vegas ft MacKenzie Porter – this sucks". FYI Music News.
  17. ^ "life gets interesting... by Virginia To Vegas". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Vol. I – EP by Virginia to Vegas". iTunes Store (Canada). Apple Inc. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  19. ^ "a constant state of improvement. – EP by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  20. ^ "it's a little complicated, but i'm okay. – Single by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  21. ^ "l.a. in the rear view – EP by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Remember That Time We – EP by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Virginia To Vegas Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Virginia To Vegas Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Virginia To Vegas Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  26. ^ "Virginia To Vegas Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  27. ^ a b c d e "Canadian certifications – Virginia to Vegas". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Malibu – Single by Virginia to Vegas & NOTD". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Virginia To Vegas & MacKenzie Porter Earn Strong Radio Support". FYI Music News. 19 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Daydreaming – Single by Noelle & Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  31. ^ "Delaney Jane Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  32. ^ "Delaney Jane Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Delaney Jane Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  34. ^ "Delaney Jane Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  35. ^ "amnesia – Single by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  36. ^ "you don't know – Single by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music (Canada). Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  37. ^ "break up with that guy. – Single by Virginia to Vegas". Apple Music. Apple Inc. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  38. ^ Delmar, Sari. "2015 INDIE AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED". INDIES. Sirius XM. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  39. ^ "Arcade Fire and Daniel Caesar lead 2018 Juno Award nominations". CBC Music, February 6, 2018.

External links

Authority control databases: Artists
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