If you like your EDM pop with real edge, real emotion, and the kind of urgency that feels built for a live stage, Daniel Michael should be on your radar. The New York artist has spent more than a decade building a career rooted in rock songwriting, and when he steps into electronic territory, he does not leave that identity behind. Instead, he pulls the power of rock into a modern dance framework, creating records that hit with both punch and heart.
Music has always been part of Daniel’s foundation. He grew up in a musical family, with a father who is a guitar player and producer, and a mother who was a singer and represented Israel in Eurovision as part of the duo Gili & Galit. She passed in November 2022, and her legacy adds weight to Daniel’s commitment to craft and performance. Even today, his approach is not confined to studio polish. When he performs live, he often performs with instruments and instrumentalists alongside his dad, keeping the energy human, loud, and connected.
Born in New York and now living in New York, Daniel also spent part of his childhood abroad, and that broader experience shows up in the way he blends influences without losing focus. His biggest inspirations include My Chemical Romance, Dirty Loops, U.K., and Tears for Fears, a mix that explains a lot about his sound: dramatic and melodic, rhythmically sharp, and emotionally direct. Whether a track leans rock or electronic, you can still hear the same core intention, to make something that feels honest and anthemic.
That crossover appeal has already produced real momentum. His track “Indigo” featuring Gucci Mane reached nearly half a million streams and landed on the iTunes Rock charts, while also showing up on the iTunes EDM charts. He also saw “Hear the Call” chart on iTunes Rock, another sign that his songwriting connects beyond any single lane. Daniel’s work has also been picked up by notable outlets outside the typical EDM ecosystem, including a feature from HipHopSince1987.
Now, Daniel is bringing that same multi genre instinct into his newest release, “Need You,” arriving January 14, 2026. He describes it as EDM in the most rock-like way, and that framing is dead on. This is not electronic music that feels detached from performance. It is EDM pop driven by rock sensibility, built around tension, lift, and the kind of emotional charge that makes a chorus feel like a confession. If you are familiar with his catalog, the DNA makes sense. Daniel has said “Indigo” feels closest to something from My Chemical Romance’s Danger Days era, with an EDM style drop, while “Please Stay” leans like a 2000s alt rock song. “Need You” sits in that same world, where rock emotion and electronic impact reinforce each other instead of competing.
Lyrically, “Need You” hits a specific kind of breaking point. It is about what happens after being treated like a backup plan enough times, pulled close only to be discarded. Lines like the idea behind “you pull me closer to your side but I’m misled, I’m drowned” capture the confusion and the emotional exhaustion of being kept around without being chosen. Over time, your heart adapts. “I’ve always sparked my own flame, never craved a heart to claim” is not independence as a slogan, it is independence as armor, built from experience. Then the hook twists the knife in the most honest way possible, because the conflict is real: “but I need you now.” It is the moment where you finally find someone worth staying for, while every protective instinct you developed is telling you to run.
The visuals for the release keep that energy grounded and cinematic. The music video features footage taken by Michael Maher, with some shots captured in the Infinity Room in Brooklyn, some at Roosevelt Field Mall including the parking lot and the rooftop, and scenes with Daniel singing while the Thunderbird car sits behind him. There are also driving sequences around Roosevelt Field Mall that add motion and tension, plus footage featuring actress Emmie Rose, adding a human focal point that complements the emotional push and pull of the song.
Daniel Michael is not chasing a trend. He is building a sound that feels like a bridge between worlds, for listeners who want dance energy without losing rock intensity. If you have been waiting for EDM pop that still feels like it has a pulse, “Need You” is worth your attention.
Watch the music video, listen on Spotify, and explore more onYouTube. Follow Daniel onInstagram andTikTok, or visit his official website.
