IN CONVERSATION WITH ISAK DANIELSON
interview by JANA LETONJA
Isak Danielson may still feel like a hidden gem outside of Sweden, but his numbers, and more importantly, his voice, tell another story. The Gothenburg-born queer singer-songwriter has quietly amassed nearly a billion streams across platforms and built a devoted following, including 336k fans on TikTok who connect deeply with his raw, emotionally charged performances. A student of love-song greats like Adele, Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, and Swedish jazz icon Monica Zetterlund, Isak crafts music that feels timeless yet intensely personal. With his new single Always You, a breathtaking ode to longing and devotion, and a European tour kicking off, Isak is poised to step from cult favorite to undeniable force.
Always You feels deeply intimate. What inspired this song?
Always You is about reminiscing on the past, wondering if you made the right decision and feeling scared that you let ’'the one’’ get away. I was thinking of a man I had a relationship with and fantasized about the idea of us together today, if we wouldn’t have given up, what would my life be.
When you write about love, where do you draw from most: memory, imagination, or present emotion?
I think it’s a very good combination of the three, but I love me some nostalgia so I draw most from memory.
Your voice carries a timeless quality. Do you consciously aim for that, or does it happen naturally?
That’s a very nice compliment. I’ve listened and imitated my favorite singers, Adele, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, so that’s what inspired my voice.
Despite nearly a billion streams, you’re still something of a “hidden gem” internationally. How do you feel about that perception?
I don’t think much about this, I’m just glad I get to do what I love and that I have fans who support me and my music.
How has being a queer artist shaped the way you approach vulnerability in your music?
I’m a sensitive person and it's important to me to be authentic and tell the truth in my songs.
You’ve built a strong presence on TikTok. How do you balance digital intimacy with artistic mystique?
I don’t approach it as digital intimacy, I just share my own stories and love hearing other people’s. If that qualifies as artistic mystique then great.
Love songs can easily fall into cliché. How do you keep yours feeling personal and fresh?
I try to be as honest as possible when I’m writing. I think I fall into cliché sometimes but that doesn’t have to be such a bad thing. It’s better not to worry about that. I focus on always pushing myself to try and write better lyrics, widen my range and create better melodies.
What does performing live give you that the studio can’t?
Being able to perform the songs you’ve written, hear people sing the lyrics back to you, laugh, cry. It’s a hard feeling to explain.
With your upcoming European tour, what are you most excited to bring to audiences outside Sweden?
I’m just so excited to see them and to perform my songs for them, especially the new music I have coming. I love to hear how people all over the world interpret it and find new meaning in my stories.
How do you protect your emotional well-being when your art is so personal?
For both myself and my listeners, I think the emotion in the music is an outlet not a cause, so the art is already protecting my emotional well-being.
TEAM CREDITS
talent ISAK DANIELSON
photography NINA ANDERSSON
interview JANA LETONJA
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
