David Kushner

David Alan Kushner II (born September 6, 2000) is an American singer-songwriter. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and began releasing music. Kushner's song "Miserable Man" went viral on TikTok and peaked at number 11 on the charts in Norway and number 19 in Ireland, additionally reaching the top 40 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Along with the single "Mr. Forgettable", it appeared on his debut extended play Footprints I Found (2022). Kushner received 556 million streams within a year of releasing music.

His song "Daylight" was released on April 14, 2023, and also gained huge traction on TikTok; the song would appear on his debut album The Dichotomy (2024). Kushner has served as the opening act for one of Lauv's tours. He headlined the Daylight 2.0 tour.

Life and career Kushner was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. After realizing he could sing after finishing twelfth grade, he began writing songs with a close friend while living in Florida. Kushner played the guitar and taught himself music. Although never using a vocal coach, Kushner released the single "Miserable Man" in January 2022, which went viral on TikTok. The song peaked at number 11 on the charts in Norway and number 19 in Ireland, additionally reaching the top 40 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Manny Patston of Happy commented: "He really, really cares about music. You can tell from his sheer excitement [...] I'm sure Kushner's youthful energy, magnetism, and blessed DNA will result in flocks of adoration".

Along with the single "Mr. Forgettable", it appeared on his debut extended play Footprints I Found (2022). "Mr. Forgettable", written from the perspective of an Alzheimer's patient, also gained attention on TikTok, with some users expressing being forgotten by family members and others relating it to mental illness. Kushner accumulated 556 million streams within a year of his released music, and toured with Lauv later on in the year. He released the single "Daylight" on April 14, 2023. He commented on his success on TikTok: "TikTok has played the biggest role in my music career. It started as a fun thing. I definitely had not planned to market my music [... but after the unexpected success] I knew that TikTok would be a powerful tool to be able to connect with new people."

Kushner was due to tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time in November 2023, but was forced to cancel the tour at short notice due to "unforeseen circumstances".

In May 2024, it was announced that Kushner was the Grand Prize winner of the 2023 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for the song "Daylight."

In late 2024, he announced plans for a single, titled "Empty Bench". The single was released on December 6, 2024.

In early 2025, he began releasing teasers for a song titled "Breathe In, Breathe Out". The song was released on January 31, 2025. His second extended play, 20 Years from Now, was released on February 14, 2025.

His second album, DK2, is scheduled for release in 2026.

Personal life Kushner is Christian, and the content of his music is influenced by his faith. In a 2023 interview, he said, "My faith in God has been a foundational thing in my life. Although sometimes things can get challenging if I'm being completely honest, I have learned that it's okay. [...] I don't really get caught up with any scrutiny. I embrace my faith and write music that I think will speak to people." Kushner has spoken openly about his issues with mental health and anxiety, and has revealed that he suffers from a tic disorder, stating that it started as a vocal tic and has since "progressed", though when he is making music, his symptoms almost disappear.

Discography Studio albums + Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications US AUT BEL(FL) NLD NOR SCT UK

Extended plays + Title EP details Peak chart positions BEL(FL) LTU SWI Footprints I Found Released: September 16, 2022 Label: Independent Formats: Digital download, streaming, LP 114 68 93 20 Years from Now Released: February 14, 2025 Label: Miserable Music Group Formats: Digital download, streaming——— "—" denotes a song that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

ARIA: Gold BPI: Silver Footprints I Found "Mr. Forgettable" — — — 43 — — — — 73 — RIAA: Platinum MC: Platinum — — — — — — — — — — MC: Gold 2023 — — — — — — — — — — "Daylight" 33 4 6 2 1 2 1 1 2 11 RIAA: 3× Platinum BPI: 2× Platinum MC: 6× Platinum — "Skin and Bones" 2024 70 84 28 40 — 19 — 22 36 76 RIAA: Gold — — — — — — — — — — The Dichotomy "Humankind" — — — — — — — — — — "Empty Bench" — — — "Heaven's Sirens" — — — — — — — — — — "Dirty Dog" — — — — — — — — — — "Bittersweet Dreams" — — — — — — — — — — "Electrified" 2026 — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a song that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs + List of songs, showing year released, selected chart positions and album name Title YearPeak chart positions Album USAlt USChrist NZHot "Darkerside" 2024 20 22 35 The Dichotomy

Other credits Hayd – "Don't Go, Don't Leave" (2022; writer)