A Review of "Daylight" by David Kushner

In the quest for the next big music star, or even next great song, society scours the internet (and everywhere else, too) for even a hint that an artist has potential. By observing the Billboard Hot 100, one name you'll come across is David Kushner.

Never heard of him? All the better. At 23 years old, Kushner began his professional music career in 2020. His music has been streamed more than 500 million times, and his most notable single reached a peak of 47 on the Billboard Hot 100... so far.

Is Kushner the big thing in music? You'll have to listen to "Daylight" to make a decision.

David Kushner’s "Daylight" is a somber tune from a baritone voice that explores our inner conception of morality and our struggles with our inner self. The song is haunting, and the accompanying video matches the theme of the music.

Check out the full lyrics here.

The video starts with Kushner entering a church with a young boy while singing of his desire to stay away from his dark thoughts. The video may allude to addiction with the lyrics “you and I drinking poison from the same vine,” as well as “telling myself it’s the last time.”

Many of the song’s lyrics are intentionally ambiguous, though they definitively tell of a relationship between two people, evidenced by “This lust is a burden that we both share; Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer, Souls tied, intertwined by pride and guilt.” The story might be about a pair of lovers caught in a drug addiction.

"Daylight," part of Kushner's first Album "Footprints I Found," has reached as high as number two in Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. It has topped the charts in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland. From Chicago, Kushner is an avid fan of gospel music, citing Hozier's "Take Me to Church" as one of his primary influences.




As "Daylight" was released, the rising star was profiled by Jonathan Kanengoni of the Evening Standard in April of 2023, said the following:

"The album release will be the next big step for the breakout star, which he hopes to release at some point this year, as well as touring ambitions. For now, though, with a UK top 5 debut almost certain, and the number one spot within close grasp, all eyes are on Kushner and this week’s UK Singles Chart."

The lyrics are aching, and the pain resonates from Kushner’s soul. He does not want to face his addiction or potential separation from his lover or partner when he bemoans “Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight, From the daylight, runnin' from thе daylight.” The repetition of the lyrics addressing the theme of escape may also indicate addiction or drug abuse, but the video is not so explicit.

The video later finds Kushner in nature, encountering a large black cloud that may allude to smoking or vaping. Despite his internal sense to keep away from the cloud, he reaches towards it, enticed by mystery and escapes from his pain.

The video does an adequate job of connecting the lyrics, alternating between Kushner is in a wooded area and church while crying out to God with the lyrics:

“Can you spare any mercy that you might find, If I'm down on my knees again? Deep down, way down, Lord, I try, Try to follow your light, but it's nighttime, Please don't leave me in the end.”

Kushner believes that there is hope to be found in God, voicing his struggle to reconcile his sins with God and either bring them to an end or make peace with them.

The lyrics most repeated in the song are “Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time,” indicating the release and escape imbued by sin, drugs, and addiction. Kushner speaks of his resentment for his sins with these lyrics while lamenting the lack of another satisfying escape.

Other elements of the music video include Kushner standing in a library with a man who is on fire, yet seemingly unaffected by the flames. He reaches his hand out for Kushner, perhaps an allegory to the nature of drugs and the nature of their usage.

Later sections show Kushner in the middle of a gray room, on his hands and knees, while a gang of young men hurl rocks at him, showing the effects of social stigma as a response to his sins.

“Daylight,” by David Kushner, is a haunting tune appropriate for those struggling with God, drugs, addiction, or inner turmoil. The lyrics are smooth and the singer’s voice is a deep bellow of pain that draws the listener in.

I give this song 3 out of 5 stars because while the singer’s voice is excellent and the lyrics are sometimes insightful; there is too much ambiguity to really be sure what he is singing about sometimes. One might say that this is an intentional ambiguity to appeal to many behaviors, or reference the very direct religious themes. Time will tell how far the star of David Kushner rises, but I have never been a fan of slow and somber church music, so this song gets a 3 from me.


At a Glance

"Daylight"

Artist: David Kushner

Summary: A wayward youth struggles with relationships, lust, and addiction

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoN9ql6Yymw

Information about the Artist: You can find more information about Kushner, his musical production, and his life on his Instagram at  or his YouTube.

Distributor: Altar 8 Studio

Rating: 3 out of  5