Darin (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darin
Darin performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Darin Zanyar
Born	(1987-06-02) 2 June 1987 (age 38) Stockholm, Sweden
Genres	Pop dance
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Dex Music (Sweden), Sony Music, EMI Germany, Universal Music
Associated acts	Kat DeLuna, Eagle Eye Cherry, Lil Jon

Darin Zanyar (born 2 June 1987), known simply as Darin, is a famous Swedish singer and songwriter. He first became known when he competed in the first season of Swedish Idol in 2004. Since then, Darin has become one of Sweden's most successful artists. He has released nine studio albums, and eight of them have reached number one on the charts.

Life and Career

How It All Began

Darin was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His parents, Shwan and Ashti, are from Iraqi Kurdistan and have a Kurdish background. He grew up in a family that loved music and started singing when he was very young. Some of his biggest musical heroes were Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston. When he was 14, a music producer discovered him after a school performance, and he began writing and recording his own songs.

2004–2005: A Star is Born

In 2004, at age 16, Darin joined the first season of Swedish Idol. He was a huge favorite with the audience and even received 78% of the public votes in the semi-final. He finished as the runner-up and signed a record deal with SonyBMG the very next day.

His first album, The Anthem, came out in February 2005. It went straight to number one on the Swedish Album Charts and was certified gold. His first single, "Money for Nothing", was written by the singer Robyn and also hit number one. That year, Darin became one of the most talked-about people in Sweden.

Later in 2005, he released his second album, Darin. It also reached number one and was certified platinum. This album was also released in Finland. For this album, he worked with the producer RedOne and released the hit single "Step Up".

2006–2009: More Hit Albums

In 2006, Darin won a Swedish Grammis award for "Song of the Year" for his single "Money for Nothing". In November 2006, he released his third album, Break the News, which also debuted at number one.

Darin in 2009

In 2008, Darin worked with RedOne again on his fourth album, Flashback. It included the single "Breathing Your Love", a duet with American singer Kat DeLuna. Another song, "What If", was made with a Swedish anti-bullying charity called Friends.

In 2009, Darin performed a cover of Coldplay's song "Viva la Vida" on the TV show Idol. His version became a number-one hit in Sweden.

2010–2013: Lovekiller and Exit

In 2010, Darin competed in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish competition to choose the country's Eurovision Song Contest entry. He sang "You're Out of My Life" and finished in fourth place.

His fifth album, Lovekiller, was released in August 2010. It went to number one and was certified gold in its first week.

In 2012, Darin appeared on the TV show Så mycket bättre. On the show, artists perform their own versions of other musicians' songs. Darin's performances were so popular that he had six songs in the top 10 on iTunes at the same time.

In January 2013, he released his sixth album, Exit. It became his fifth number-one album. For this album, he worked with famous American producers and songwriters. That same year, he performed his song "So Yours" during the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.

2014–2019: Singing in Swedish

In 2014, Darin began writing songs in Swedish for the first time. He was inspired after recording a tribute song in the same Stockholm studio where the famous group ABBA recorded many of their albums.

His first Swedish single, "Ta mig tillbaka" ("Take Me Back"), was released in March 2015. The song was about his childhood. It was a huge success, going 4x platinum. His first all-Swedish album, Fjärilar i magen ("Butterflies in my Stomach"), came out in September 2015 and became his sixth number-one album.

In 2017, he released his second Swedish album, Tvillingen ("The Twin"). It also hit number one, making it his seventh chart-topping album. In 2018 and 2019, he went on his first arena tour in Sweden, performing in huge venues in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.

2020–Present: International Success

In February 2020, Darin released the single "En säng av rosor" ("A Bed of Roses"). The song was very popular and has been streamed over 45 million times.

In 2021, Darin released the English-language song "Can't Stay Away". He wanted the song to be fun, colorful, and full of energy. The song became a big hit in Italy, reaching number one on the radio charts. This led to him performing on major Italian TV shows.

His 2022 single "Superstar" also became a huge hit in Italy. He even received an award for the song at a big music event at the Arena di Verona. In December 2022, Darin was invited to perform at the Vatican's annual Christmas concert, where he also met Pope Francis.

On September 15, 2023, Darin released his ninth album, En annan jag ("Another Me"). It went straight to number one in Sweden.

In March 2024, Darin released the single "Electric". The song was played on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom and became his first single to enter the UK charts. He followed it up with the single "Moonlight" in May 2024, which he co-wrote with English singer Conor Maynard.

Writing Songs for Other Artists

Besides being a singer, Darin is also a talented songwriter for other artists.

• In 2007, British singer Leona Lewis recorded his song "Homeless" for her album Spirit.
• In 2009, he co-wrote the song "Love Struck" for the American boyband V Factory.
• In 2010, he wrote "Can't Stop Love" for the Royal Wedding of Princess Victoria of Sweden.
• He wrote the winner's song "All This Way" for Amanda Fondell on Idol 2011.

Discography

Albums

• The Anthem (2005)
• Darin (2005)
• Break the News (2006)
• Flashback (2008)
• Lovekiller (2010)
• Exit (2013)
• Fjärilar i magen (2015)
• Tvillingen (2017)
• En annan jag (2023)

Awards

Darin has won many awards during his career, including:

• A Grammis (the Swedish version of the Grammy Awards)
• A Rockbjörnen (Rock Bear award)
• A Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award
• An NRJ Award for Best Nordic song in Finland
• Kurd of the Year award in 2005
• Artist of the Year at the QX Gaygalan Awards in 2013
• LGBTQ of the Year and Song of the Year at the QX Gaygalan Awards in 2021
• An award in Italy for his song "Superstar" in 2022

See also

In Spanish: Darin Zanyar para niños