Decent solo male popstars are few and far between, especially in America. By all accounts, Darin should be the world's number one conquering pop idol. I really do think he's that good. Unfortunately, like many other amazing popstars, his music has only really sustained popularity in Sweden. In a way, that's fine, because it keeps him a bit of a secret, but I think some would be surprised to know that he's been releasing albums and singles for nearly a decade now. Here are my favorites:
10.
Perfect (2006) - Up until this point, Darin had been a pretty typical r&b singer. With this song, and the accompanying album, he branched out to explore more of a pop/rock angle and laid the template for his best work (which would come a few years later). I consider this track to be very underrated.
9.
Astrologen (2012) - Part of his stint on Så mycket bättre, this classic Magnus Uggla ballad was given a real touching update. Darin's vocals match the melody perfectly and this has quickly become one of his best ballads.
8.
Breathing Your Love (2008) - A duet with singer Kat Deluna, and perhaps his biggest hit outside of Sweden. It would mark his last big RedOne collaboration before he adopted a somewhat new style.
7.
Want Ya! (2006) - Most would probably put Step Up on their top ten list, but I much prefer this follow-up, which is less trendy in sound but far more indebted to the vocal tics and production of Michael Jackson (clearly one of Darin's biggest influences). It's one of his best videos, too.
6.
You're Out Of My Life (2010) - His big Melodifestivalen ballad, and the first taste of his collaboration with renowned songwriter/producer Tony Nilsson. Unsurprisingly, it's huge on melody and big pop drama. Yeah, it's overblown, but in the best way possible.
5.
Money For Nothing (2005) - His debut single after coming second on Swedish Idol, and still one of my favorites. Part of that is down to the fact that it was written by fellow-Swede Robyn, and part of it is that carefree, bubblegum pop sound. It holds up!
4.
Viva la Vida (2009) - I consider this to be the definitive version of the song. I can't even listen to Coldplay's original any more. Darin's delivery and production gives it a dramatic flourish that takes the melody to a new place. It's truly transcendent pop.
3.
En Apa Som Liknar Dig (2012) - The second of his Så mycket bättre songs on this list,
En Apa is another cover, but completely twisted and reimagined from the original. It's one of the best dance tracks of the year, in any language.
2.
Lovekiller (2010) - Taken from my favorite album of his,
Lovekiller is pure drama. We're talking soap opera lyrics, choirs and notes that hit the stratosphere. This was an utter shock when it came out. Up to this point in his career, I had no idea what he was really capable of.
1.
Nobody Knows (2012) - One of the biggest POP moments of the past few years. It's hard to imagine that a song can sound this
big. From start to finish, it's an unadulterated blast of energy and marks the high point (thus far) in his career.
So there you go! But here's the thing, no list is complete without hearing what
you think! Leave your top ten Darin songs in the comments!
Labels: countdowns, Darin
