Daniel Wilson is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from
Ypsilanti,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, United States. His debut EP, ''Young Rubbish'', was released in 2014 by the London-based record label Zap Records, and featured production credits by Sam Billen and Ryan Pinkston. His latest release, ''Boy Who Cried Thunder'', was released in November 2014 also on Zap Records. In 2015, he contributed with
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
in co-writing and producing "
Sidewalks
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick, stone ...
", featuring vocals from
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
, which appears in his third album, entitled ''
Starboy''. He has also worked with notable artists, producers and musicians such as
Miguel,
Twin Shadow, Joe Goddard,
ZHU,
DJ Dahi
Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendri ...
,
Leo Abrahams
Leo Matthew Abrahams (born 1977 in Camden, London) is an English musician, composer and producer. He has collaborated with a multitude of professional musicians, including Brian Eno, Katie Melua, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, Regina ...
among many others. Do not mistake him for the Nigerian Daniel Wilson, who is also a musician.
Biography
Growing up "on a diet of gospel, Christian music, musicals and '90s MTV",
Daniel Wilson started his musical trajectory at the age of 13 in a gospel choir.
His first solo compositions came to life in 2008
using his mother's old tape recorder and, eventually, switching to cheap computer software. The artist was signed by London-based music label Zap Records in 2013.
Music
Wilson's music can be described as a sort of "indie-ish synthetic R&B, in parts electronic and ecclesiastic",
while his particular crooning skills grant him a "rare, elastic falsetto".
Musical influences range from
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
and
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
,
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
,
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
, and
gospel music
Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
, and his music can be compared to those recorded by acts including
Blood Orange
The blood orange is a variety of orange ( ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'') (also referred to as raspberry orange) with crimson, almost blood-colored flesh.
The distinctive dark flesh color is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of polyp ...
,
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Loui ...
, and
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and Jale ...
.
Discography
EPs
* ''Young Rubbish'' (2014), Zap Records
* ''Boy Who Cried Thunder'' (2014), Zap Records
* ''Sinner of The Week'' (2016), Zap Records
Songwriting and production discography
References
Living people
American male singer-songwriters
American electronic musicians
21st-century American singers
1990 births
{{US-electronic-musician-stub