Swedish pop artist Daniella Binyamin’s debut EP “Abba” details personal strength in the face of a break-up.
Daniella Binyamin, a pop artist from Stockholm, Sweden, released her debut EP, “Abba”, on March 24th. We gave it a good listen and found someone stronger now than she was before writing the songs performed therein. Over the span between then and now, Daniella was awarded the coveted Gaffa Priset, a major award conferred this year by the Nordic music magazine Gaffa, for the second track on the EP, titled “Out of Fuel”.
But that’s not what we are here to talk about. Awards and accolades surely mean a lot, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as such, we are here to talk about our opinions surrounding this wonderful album. If you’ve ever been on the precipice of a break from a partner, or even had to undergo such a traumatic event in your life, you’ll know the feelings Daniella Binyamin is trying to convey in her music.
From the top of the album and its eponymous opening track, “Abba”, we can get the sense that this album is going to be something very special. There is a disco beat to this song but at the same time, the performance boasts a poppy set of lyrics paired with ambient vocals. Ultimately, this song is assured to be a crowd favorite due to its upbeat musicality.
“Out of Fuel”, the EP’s second track, has a funky backing bassline and fresh, lively percussion behind it, while Daniella’s vocals keep us grounded to the very place she wants us. This place seems to be approaching the tail-end of a relationship, which can be quite relatable.
The third track on “Abba”, titled “Toothpaste Kisses”, shows the resulting collapse of the aforementioned partnership. With a steady piano melody backing the sentimental vocals, there is something emotionally charged about Daniella’s lyrics. This is likely to resonate with many people, which will undoubtedly make a song like “Toothpaste Kisses” popular with the “break-up song” enthusiasts listening along.
“Grand Hotel,” the fourth track of Daniella Binyamin’s EP, gives us much more poppiness than we got previously. This song provides a strong percussive beat amid light, airy vocals. The song is reminiscent of Marina and the Diamonds in vocal tone and Olivia Rodrigo in musicality. As it stands, “Grand Hotel” is a quirky-yet-lively anthem.
“Trying” shows a very different side of the situation that Daniella Binyamin is aiming to portray. Amid all of the sorrow of loss, this song depicts the inner turmoil of attempting to fully recover from that. It’s a powerful ballad, driven by strong piano chords and lamenting lyrics propelled by Binyamin’s voice, which in itself has allowed her to find her own inner voice.
The EP concludes with “All that’s Good”, a song that seeks to ponder the past and all of its players. The song starts out quite wistful, lyrically, but as the beat kicks in, we get a glimpse of hope in Binyamin’s vocalizations and a powerful display from the brass section. As soon as this begins, however, it ends and leaves us feeling energized and invigorated.
All in all, “Abba” takes our minds to a place where many have dreaded to tread, but does so in a way that affords us clarity, grace, and, ultimately the promise of peace of mind. In the sorrow of losing someone close to us in a break-up, these are all things we are bettered by, so it’s a vital thing for music such as this to grant us these.
“Abba” was performed by Daniella Binyamin, and written and produced by Daniella Binyamin and Oskar Nyman. You can find “Abba” on Spotify now.
