Nir Yahav, in collaboration with Mifal Hapayis

21/10/2021

"There were moments when it seemed to me that the years would pass and the dream would run away, and music would remain just a hobby."

The terrible frustration before the big break ("I considered quitting"), the danger in a show like "The X Factor" in which he will serve as a judge ("My kids will not go for it") and the story behind the hit "My New Dress": Ren Danker talks about sexual identity, success and anxiety attacks on podcast "What's new?"

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"What happened to me while working on 'Crazy House' with Ron Bitton and Jordi is something that never happened to me. All of a sudden, it all came out of us in such a burst of consciousness," Ren Danker recalled how the hit that conquered the country in the last year was born. "We did not know we had an atom bomb in hand, but after two or three hours of work, Jordi suddenly stopped and said to me, 'Do you understand that something good is happening here?' "And I said yes. We could not leave the studio until midnight because we wanted to continue working."

In "What does it sound like?", The Walla! Culture in collaboration with Mifal Hapayis, Danker tells Nir Yahav about his new single, "My New Dress": "I worked on it for a year and a half. Obviously 'Crazy House' is the next thing to come out. At one point I realized we had explosives in hand and I was scared every second it stayed in my closet.

I knew ‘My New Dress’ is a broader and more important song for my personal life and career because it symbolizes artistic and creative freedom. As with any new single, I get very excited about it and not really sleep at night, but the adrenaline is so strong that I'm in a trance. "

" It stretches me to the limits of a pop I never imagined I would be in a few years ago. Something opened up in me and I realized that pop is a way to reach a wide audience with my messages and that I love it. With 'The Dress' I feel like I can celebrate life on another level and stretch boundaries even on the mirror level. For years I did not have the courage to do it, but I love when fashion blends in with music.

Over the years, a lot of pop artists have realized that this is a place where you can celebrate images and not just stand clean behind a microphone and for me it connects with the actor that I am.

For a long time I tried to separate the actor from the musician and today I make peace between them.

I had a reverence for music and now I am more relaxed.

It happened after Yahli Sobol told me that because of this reverence, I set myself illogical goals.

Once I realized who I was and peeled the layers off of me, my music was accepted.

I came to 'Crazy House' and 'The Dress' in a fun way.

The quality of the text, the production and the melody are still very important to me, but from a place of freedom. "

Can't sleep before a new single.

Ran Danker (Photo: Meir Cohen)

How stressful are you now when you release a new song, after "Crazy House" was chosen as the song of the year?

"Maybe I'm repressed, but I understand the size of 'Crazy House.' My new 'wins thanks to this status that almost no singles come out. After such success, people listen to you and want to get to know the new song and I feel it in the comments.

What also helped me is that this song, as mentioned, was ready already so I was not pressured to write anything following "The success of 'Crazy House'. I sang 'The Dress' in my last shows and the first time I was under pressure, but the team said the reactions were amazing. At the next show half of the audience already knew the song and sang with me."

"Yes. In pop many times sin and slip into the chorus a cool line, but without meaning and these are songs that do not catch me. I think personal fragrance is critical in music and should be revealed, even if revealing a dream or fantasy. I for example, I never went with dresses, except on Purim I invested and dressed up and as I got to class, everyone laughed at me. I cried, ran to the bathroom and told Mom to take me home. Since I have not dressed up on any Purim, I skip this day. "

You had a crazy year - Song and Singer of the Year, campaigns, Festigal and soon also an X Factor judge on Network 13. How do you stay with your feet on the ground?

"There is something about age and the proportions of life that makes it all easier for the bride. I am raising two daughters with my partner and at the age of 22-23 I had a much harder time dealing with it all. I was scared and it manifested in not simple anxiety attacks, until I stopped everything and drove to New York. Today I know that everything requires very hard work and nothing comes easily. Even my family, except for Dad, who travels in the clouds. Honestly, I will not be surprised if following the new single he goes out with a dress ... By and large, I really like What I do and feel is that my art touches people. "

"I was always into music. When I was accepted to 'Our Song,' my audition was a song. At the same time, the play in my blood thanks to Dad, who is a theater actor. So I was drawn to both worlds, but music was always much more meaningful and powerful. The album with Eli Butner, he wrote and composed everything and I was just the performing singer, which is great, but after two years it was enough for me and I wanted something of my own. In

New York I wrote hundreds of songs and always felt that if I go back to music, I want to be mature "I think the years go by and the dream will run away, and music will remain just a hobby. It made me very sad and I did not agree that it would end like this, so I released singles and went back to performing."

Crazy year (Photo: Reuven Castro)

What judge were you on the X Factor?

"Until I see it, I will not know how I was really edited, but I guess I broadcast relatively round things. Spring is more sarcastic, Neta knows his Eurovision and style, Margol brings Margol and Miri was very excited. understand where I am and have to do fun thing.

At first it was difficult to judge, because all the guys next to me made a musical career list, but it has been my second show and I noticed that I had something to say to bidders in terms of appearance and selecting a song from the actor in me These are things that the other judges may be less familiar with.

By and large, I was not simple with the contenders.

Eventually you have to flip someone home.

There is no nice way to say it and it is terribly difficult for young contestants.

I would not recommend my children to go to such programs at too young an age because it is very dangerous in my eyes, even though today there is also more awareness and youth taking things in the right proportions.

I remember myself at the age of 19, after they hired me lead role and still I was confident all day going to fire me, so I can not imagine what that song in front of the whole country and take criticism all week five judges who sit in front of you. "

"There were very talented contestants, but some were not specifically suited for this event.

After all, I invited those who I thought were worthy and could do something good along the way to my performances. "

What judge was he?

(Photo: Network 13)

You return to the Festigal after 15 years and go on to play Noa Kirl's father. How did you feel about that?

"When I was told, I burst out laughing and first thing I said I did not come. It took me a while to contain it, but the truth is it is not such a detachment from life, even though the age gap does not make the most sense. I was very comfortable working with all the young guys there. My perspective is different and maybe my perspective is different, but I am thrilled by their talent and the people they are. They have zero self-aviation. Noa Kirl, the most successful singer in Israeli pop, works hard and stays with her feet on the ground. "I did at their age. They also helped me manage my ticking."

"Apparently everything I did led me here and I think it will continue to be like this. In our journey as people and artists, everything affects and even if there is a low moment, you can get out of it. For example in the previous album - I came with a lot of expectations and it crashed in my face "

"A lot of people write to me that they identify with my character and the content I bring, probably now as 'The Dress' came out. Also on the previous album there was a song that told about breaking up with my partner and in performances, my character is not necessarily always male. I like it and the audience identifies. Who tell me they came out of the closet, others consult what to do in front of the family.I refer to each case individually and remind them that they are young and it is time to look, and not determine anything final.

Me for example, if you ask 'are you gay?', I will say 'also'. It is difficult for the general public and the community in particular to understand the term 'bisexual', but it has become more familiar and flowing and it is welcome in my eyes. We progress from the old world and enjoy the whole rainbow. I too was very conservative in the past, I worked to be straight, a typical male and Israeli, I was afraid of my gentleness and desires until I took off layers and tried things, and that made me an easier person. I was afraid of the environment, the family, the public but most of all, I was afraid of myself. It's really hard and not everyone has a supportive environment. For me, for example, when I told my father that I had a partner, he shouted 'Yes! I have a gay boy. ' I said I was bisexual and he replied, 'Don't confuse your mind.' "

"To perform. I wish for myself to perform as I play in a rehearsal room. When I'm there, I have a special happiness that develops with the staff and I approach it in performances, but it's not exactly the same yet. On stage I light up, feeling like I can be anything I want. When the audience sings the songs in front of you, reacts and does not know what will happen in the next moment - it is very exciting. "

Listen up for the full interview with Ran Danker in a podcast in collaboration with Mifal HaPais

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