Yael Danon
I am blown away by Yael Danon’s new single “Teddy Bears”. What a record. What a vocal performance. What a production. At only 16 years old, Danon already has a true musical identity and a true vision as an artist. “Teddy Bears” is original, colorful and different. It is my new favorite song of the moment and I can’t wait for the world to hear it.
Yael Danon definitely has a bright career ahead and I’m proud to feature her on my blog. Thank you so much Yael !!
“Teddy Bears” is out now :)
Photo credit Carlos Hernandez
Introduce yourself - what's the story of Yael Danon?
I’m a 16 year old trilingual singer songwriter, born and raised in Panama :) I remember I started writing and singing my first funny songs by the age of 8 after I took my purple diary to my music teacher. Ever since participating in the school’s talent show, I could not stop performing. Whether it was in concerts or acting in musicals, the stage was sorta like a second home.
It was the summer of 2019 that gave a twist to my life. On a family vacation in Israel, I found out about auditions for Israel’s Got Talent. Hesitant at first, I decided to audition and finally won the Youth Category of Israel’s Got Talent at the age of 13. After winning, things changed a bit. I decided I wanted to share my own music with the world, and so I did.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to Adele, Coldplay, Aretha Franklin, Billie Eilish, and Demi Lovato.
When did you start writing songs?
I actually started writing songs when I was like eight years old. I’m not gonna lie, they used to be very funny hehehe. But when I was 13, I started writing songs that I eventually released and started collaborating with other songwriters too.
When did you know you could sing?
I decided I knew how to sing when I was 8, when my mom got a text in the mom’s group chat that there were auditions for a community talent show… I just wanted to audition. As soon as I got this news, I told my mom I was going to audition and started practicing for hours with karaoke tracks on YouTube. I started taking vocal lessons, I won and decided singing was my passion.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
Actually I feel that the confidence came from within. I was determined that this is what I wanted to do for hopefully the rest of my life and I was ready to share my music and my personal stories with the world.
How do your Panamanian-Israeli roots influence the music you are making today?
I am who I am today because of my roots. My experiences, the community in which I grew up in, is the inspiration beneath the lyrics and songs. In some songs I try to incorporate sounds that remind me of my two homes.
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My parents and my school music teacher. They supported me since the day I told them I wanted to sing. My parents are my engine for life and they have supported me along the way no matter what.
"Teddy Bears" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this single? Can you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I was in a jam session with producer and co-writer Joel Iglesias, and co-writer Valentina Rico, and we started thinking about scenarios that I constantly see in my day-to-day life and I kept thinking about this one situation that keeps happening to my friends (hate to admit it but happens to me too) over and over again. “Teddy Bears” is basically that good and SMART friend who’s warning you about this new guy you’re just starting to get to know (which she dated not-so-long ago), and which you’re already crushing on. The song highlights all the cute stupid sh*t you’re falling for, instead of looking at the big picture… he’s just another mistake. Just like your friend got hurt from him in the past, you will too. I probably need to listen to my own advice lol. The songwriting/production process for this song was very fun! The energy between the collaborators was AMAZING, and we were really enjoying the work process.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork is actually a moment captured from the music video done by a young incredible and talented team “Lightning Films”. The artwork captures the moment of me observing….and wanting to warn my friend from committing the same mistake I did… The diary in my hands is me waiting for things to happen so I can write them down in my diary hehehe, next to my many ugly doodles :)
What can you tell us about your upcoming debut EP Diary Girl?
Before the creation of my upcoming EP, “Diary Girl”, I was afraid of releasing music based on real-life sh*t that would go on in my life. But I believe it is time to share my diary with the world ;)
“Diary Girl” is about toxic relationships, anxiety, fear of missing out, and messy breakups. It's about real life experiences. It’s pretty much my diary put into songs. Diary Girl is a mix of genres including; pop, rock, alternative and folk. This EP includes several amazing collaborators (producers and co-songwriters) including Grammy winning Tommy Torres, Joel Iglesias, Valentina Preciado, Tal Meltzer, Shai Brander, Max Matluck, Danny Mellado, Ari Blitz.
What message do you want to give to anyone struggling with anxiety?
I want to say it always gets better. It doesn’t really feel like it does sometimes, but I promise it does. I think it’s important to live by the day without always stressing about what’s happening tomorrow. I’ve always been very hard on myself and I could say I’m an overachiever. Sometimes I get really anxious and feel like I can’t focus on anything, but I really try to breathe and remember how there is no rush in life. This new generation is so obsessed with overachieving and trying to get everything done, and it often makes us forget how we’re supposed to enjoy what we do.
Who's helping you build your artistry/career?
Many people! Apart from my parents there are unique people that have supported this project from day one. My vocal coach, my piano teacher, producers and co-songwriters that have decided to collaborate with me because they believe in me, as well as visual art teams that share my vision, my friends, and my manager.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
In my opinion, the way to make the world a better place is judging people less. We often jump to conclusions about people before we even get to know them. Additionally, I think that if we would have clear communication with people surrounding us, everyone would be much happier. Many of my songs’ (sad/icky-ish) stories would not happen if it weren’t because there is so much miscommunication between people.
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