Taio Cruz Wants To Work With Kings Of Leon

It's already been a pretty spectacular year for Taio Cruz. He scored a breakthrough U.S. hit with "Break Your Heart" (featuring Ludacris), hooked up with Ke$ha for "Dirty Picture" and then set up shop near the top of the charts most of the summer into the fall with the unstoppable single "Dynamite."

Along the way, he's recorded another upcoming single with Travie McCoy, "Higher" (which will feature Kylie Minogue in the U.K.), and he helped present an award alongside Nicki Minaj at Sunday night's American Music Awards, where he came in with modest expectations for a win.

Always thinking about his next move, Cruz is on the hunt for new collaborators, and on the AMA red carpet, he spilled some details on what he looks for in a musical match. "Someone who's going to make an impact, something the fans are going to find a fun collaboration, something interesting," he told.

Despite his eclectic slate of collaborators, Cruz said he doesn't feel like he needs to be a chameleon to shape himself to the singers he works with. "I think you just have to be nice," he smiled. "People respond pretty well to nice. And musically it helps that I'm a producer and I can figure out ways of moving songs around."

Though he's a veteran producer, Cruz admitted to getting a bit starstruck when Minogue came to his home studio to lay down some vocals. "I was just like, 'Wow, Kylie Minogue is in my house.' ... It was very surreal."

Keen to keep his finger on the pulse, Cruz has also been hunkering down with Swedish House Mafia on some new tracks. "They're so much fun," he said of the crew.

His ultimate dream musical match is one that might surprise you, though. "I would say I would have to call Kings of Leon," he said of the arena-rocking Southern family band. "Because they're incredible."

Who would you like to see Taio Cruz hook up with next? Share your ideas in the comments!