EQ Music Blog readers should know that at the moment, I am on a Darin high. This is not merely because the Swedish pop sensation has released “Electric” and “Moonlight,” two English-spoken releases this year. Moreover, the other week, I was fortunate to catch Darin live at his debut headline show at Colours, Hoxton. But more on that later…
In contrast to the alluring effervescence of “Electric,” the current single “Moonlight,” is a deliciously dark pop offering from Darin. The slinky melody calls to mind electronic greats such as Giorgio Moroder and Jacques Lu Cont (aka Stuart Price). Whereas Darin’s silky vocals noticeably bear the influence of George Michael. To my mind, Darin is filling the void of what’s been missing in pop, especially regarding UK listeners. A music video directed by Gustav Stegfors conveys the mysterious sensibility alluded to by the lyrical narrative. Darin dances through the day to night in the clip, flexing moves he’s seemingly studied from watching Michael Jackson. The clip is completely befitting of someone deemed Sweden’s most successful male pop artist!
Also, this week, we received a magnificent bonus treat from Darin. He shared a new breathtaking acoustic version of “Electric.”
If you thought Darin had hit his peak on his heartrending track “Holding Me More,” in my opinion his new vocals smash through the glass ceiling in the latest version of “Electric“. The interpretation is markedly different to the original edit of the track. The vibe is exactly how I would expect London Grammar to reimagine the track. Piano-led, intimate and atmospheric, with a soft evocative vocal style. The poignant, acoustic edit brings to mind the haunting musicality of Chris Isaak‘s, “Wicked Game” as well.
In fact, I am so glad Darin didn’t sing the acoustic version of “Electric” during his London show. The way it makes me feel, I would have been a visible wreck.
As it was, I met up with Raj and fellow pop gig pal Ashwin at Colours, not knowing what to expect from this intimate Darin gig. However, as soon as the band struck up with the electro-pop melody of “Electric,” we knew we were in for a special treat. And boy, did Darin deliver. Not only performing the new songs, he dipped into the tracks from the “My Purple Clouds” EP. Let’s say, Darin revealed his raunchy side in his performance of “Satisfaction,” so hot! There were more surprises in store, in the way of some songs released early on in his singing career. Namely “Strobelight,” “Step Up,” “Nobody Knows,” and very unexpectedly “Lovekiller.”
In this small London club, Darin didn’t scale back, he gave an intimate but appreciative audience an arena-worthy performance. No words I write will adequately describe how awesome and special this show was. But undoubtedly, this gig will be spoken about for a long time. Most definitely, Raj, Ashwin and myself, will never forget what we experienced on June 4th, 2024 at “Colours” Hoxton.
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