Daylight (David Kushner song)

After realizing he could sing after finishing 12th grade, David Kushner began writing songs with a close friend while living in Florida. He played the guitar and taught music to himself. Eventually, Kushner worked with a vocal coach and started writing songs he believed "will speak to people". He eventually released the singles "Miserable Man" and "Mr. Forgettable", which preceded his debut extended play Footprints I Found.[1][2]

Kushner wrote the song "Daylight" with Hayden Robert Hubers, Jeremy Fedryk, and Josh Bruce Williams.[3] He described his inspiration for the song: "With my song 'Daylight,' I aim to convey the paradoxical desire for something that is simultaneously harmful to oneself, using elements of light and darkness, the lyrics 'Oh I love it and I hate it at the same time you and I drink the poison from the same vine' encapsulate this concept."[2] One of the fastest songs Kushner ever wrote, its story is based on biblical allusions he found inspirational as a child.[1] "Daylight" went viral on video-sharing service TikTok, after he posted demo snippets and created a trend called "You look happier; what happened" leading up to its release.[4][5] Miserable Music Group released the song, as the second single from his upcoming debut studio album, on April 14, 2023.[2][6] It was serviced for radio airplay in Italy on April 28, 2023.[7] "Daylight" was sent to adult album alternative radio stations in the United States on May 1, 2023.[8]

Kushner (pictured in 2023) delivers deep baritone vocals on "Daylight".

"Daylight" is three minutes and 32 seconds long.[6] Rob Kirwan produced and programmed the song. He plays drums and synthesizer, Hubers plays piano, and Rick Hornby plays guitar. Jacob Morris mastered and mixed it.[3]

"Daylight" is an eerie orchestral ballad, on which Kushner projects deep baritone vocals. The Official Charts Company's George Griffiths described the song as reminiscent of the work of Bon Iver and Hozier and thought its meaning "helps it transcend to a wider audience, with the specifics of the song somewhat unclear".[5] Robin Murray of Clash commented: "'Daylight' leans on that dulcet lyric, his word play shows a complex aspect to his personality. Playing with light and shade, the song utilises emotional depth, with Kushner's vivid vocal brooding with feeling."[9]

"Daylight" debuted at number six on the Spotify Global chart dated April 14, with 4,473,193 streams.[10] The song debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart,[11] becoming Kushner's first top-10 single, and later peaked at number two.[12][13][14] In Australia, it peaked at number four.[15] "Daylight" reached number one in New Zealand.[16] The song charted at number one in the Netherlands,[17] number two in Ireland,[18] Lithuania,[19] and Norway,[20] number five in Germany,[21] number 12 in Sweden and Finland,[22][23] and numbers 16 and two on Belgium's Wallonia and Flanders charts, respectively.[24][25]

Luke Shaw and Landon Juern directed the music video for "Daylight", which was released alongside it, and features a pensive and soulful Kushner at a woodland church, along with the elements fire, water, air, and ash.[2]

• Rob Kirwan – producer, programming, drums, synthesizer
• David Kushner – songwriter
• Hayden Robert Hubers – songwriter, piano
• Josh Bruce Williams – songwriter
• Jeremy Fedryk – songwriter
• Rick Hornby – guitar
• Jacob Morris – mastering, mixing[3]