Daði Freyr Pétursson (; born 30 June 1992), known professionally as Daði Freyr or simply Daði, is an Icelandic musician. As the frontman of Daði & Gagnamagnið ( ), he was due to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Think About Things", before the event was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "10 Years", finishing in fourth place.
Early life Daði was born in Reykjavík but grew up in Denmark until the age of nine, then his family moved to Iceland and settled in the Southern Region, first in Laugaland and later in Ásahreppur. Daði graduated from ("College of the Southern Region") in 2012. In 2014, he moved to Berlin, where he received a BA in music management and audio production at the Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology in 2017.
Music career In his youth, Daði practiced drums and studied piano and bass guitar. He co-founded the band RetRoBot with his friend Kristján Pálmi. Later, singer Gunnlaugur Bjarnason and guitarist Guðmundur Einar Vilbergsson, whom he had met at the South Iceland Multicultural School, joined the band. In 2012, the band RetRoBot won the Músíktilraunir ("Music Experiments") and Daði was chosen as the best electronic musician of the year. RetRoBot released one album, Blackout, a year later.
Söngvakeppnin and Eurovision
2017–2019
In 2017, Daði participated in (competing to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017) with the song "Is This Love?" (). In performances, he was supported onstage by a group known as Gagnamagnið, consisting of his sister Sigrún Birna Pétursdóttir (backing vocalist), wife Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir (dancer), and friends Hulda Kristín Kolbrúnardóttir (backing vocalist), Stefán Hannesson (dancer), and Jóhann Sigurður Jóhannsson (dancer). They were characterized by their signature teal green sweaters, which have pixel art portraits of themselves printed on them, as well as their faux "instruments" made of household items and discarded objects that Stefán, Jóhann, and Árný utilize. Daði came in second after Svala Björgvinsdóttir, who performed the song "Paper".
In June 2019, Daði released his debut album, & Co., an avant-garde pop record that has drawn comparisons to French electronic duo Daft Punk for its retro disco sound.
2020–2021
Daði took part in the 2020 with the song "Think About Things" (the alternate Icelandic version also titled ""), about his newborn daughter. As in 2017, he performed with his group , now collectively credited as Daði & . The music video for the song went viral on YouTube, with actor Russell Crowe sharing it online.
They won the 2020 competition and were set to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several countries that would have participated in the 2020 contest held their own alternative competitions, broadcasting the entries and crowning a winner. Daði & won six such competitions, in Austria (), Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
On 23 October 2020, it was announced that Daði & would remain as Icelandic representatives at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. They performed the song "10 Years", the lyrics referencing the length of Daði's relationship with his wife and member Árný. They were forced to use a prerecorded performance from the second rehearsal during the semi-final and final, due to a member of the group testing positive for COVID-19. After qualifying for the final, they finished fourth, with 378 points, equaling Iceland's best performance at the competition in terms of points scored.
Post-Eurovision Following Eurovision, Daði toured Europe and the United States. He collaborated with Australia's 2021 Eurovision representative Montaigne on their single "make me feel so..." and with German pop rock band Tokio Hotel on the single "Happy People".
In 2023, he performed a cover of Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again" as an interval act during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, held in Liverpool, alongside a large number of look-alikes as well as his wife.
The same year, he released his second studio record I Made an Album.
On 1 August 2024, he performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
On 8 May 2026, he released his third studio album Too Much Not Enough.
Personal life Daði is married to musician Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir. Their daughter, Áróra Björg, born in 2019, was the inspiration for the lyrics of the song "Think About Things". The couple's second daughter, Kría Sif, was born in 2021.
Daði is tall. He has his own app called "Neon Planets". His father was a bongo player for Katla Maria in Söngvakeppni 1993, where they placed ninth out of ten contestants with the song "Samba".
Discography Studio albums Title Details Peak chart positions SCO UKIndie UKSales & Co. Released: 12 June 2019 Format: CD, digital download, streaming Label: Samlist ehf — — — I Made an Album Released: 25 August 2023 Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming Label: AWAL 38 10 20 Too Much Not Enough Released: 8 May 2026 Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming Label: Samlist — — — "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
EPs Title Details Peak chart positions FIN UKIndie Næsta skref Released: 26 October 2017 Format: CD, digital download, streaming Label: Self-released — — Welcome Released: 21 May 2021 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: AWAL 23 22 I'm Making an Album 1/3 Released: 17 March 2023 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: AWAL — — I'm Still Making an Album 2/3 Released: 26 May 2023 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: AWAL — — How Daði Stole Christmas Released: 15 November 2024 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Samlist — — "—" denotes an extended play that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album or EP ICEPeak chart positions for singles in Iceland: "Think About Things": "Feel the Love": "10 Years": "Whole Again": "I Don't Wanna Talk": "Me and You": BEL(FL) BEL(WA) IRE NLD NOR SCO SWE UK "Seinni tíma vandamál" 2018 — — — — — — — — — rowspan="3" "Skiptir ekki máli" — — — — — — — — — "Allir dagar eru jólin með þér" — — — — — — — — — "Heyri ekki"(featuring Don Tox) 2019 — — — — — — — — — & Co. "Endurtaka mig"(featuring Blaer) — — — — — — — — — "Ég er að fíla mig (Langar ekki að hvíla mig)" — — — — — — — — — "Think About Things"(as Daði og Gagnamagnið) 2020 1 53 — 3 — — 10 33 34 BPI: Gold Welcome "Where We Wanna Be" — — — — — — — — — rowspan="2" "Every Moment Is Christmas with You" — — — — — — — — — "Feel the Love"(with Ásdís) 2021 18 — — — — — — — — Welcome "10 Years"(as Daði og Gagnamagnið) 1 — — 38 15 33 — 23 43 "Somebody Else Now" — — — — — — — — — "Something Magical" — — — — — — — — — rowspan="2" "Sabada"(with Filous) 2022 — — — — — — — — — "I'm Fine" — — — — — — — — — I Made an Album "Whole Again" 2023 2 — — — — — — — — "Moves to Make" — — — — — — — — — I Made an Album "I'm Not Bitter" 2024 — — — — — — — — — rowspan="4" "Outside" — — — — — — — — — "Fuck City" — — — — — — — — — "Together" — — — — — — — — — "I Don't Wanna Talk" 2025 20 — — — — — — — — Too Much Not Enough "Me and You" 40 — — — — — — — — "Number One Feeling" — — — — — — — — — "Good Enough" 2026 rowspan="2" — — — — — — — — Too Much Not Enough "Hot Damn" — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released." * " denotes that the chart did not exist at that time.
As featured artist Title Year Album "make me feel so..."(Montaigne featuring Daði Freyr) 2022 Making It! "Happy People"(Tokio Hotel featuring Daði Freyr) 2001
Remixes Title Original artist Year Album "I Thought I'd Be More Famous by Now" Special-K 2018 rowspan="2" "Eye of the Storm" Millie Turner 2020
Awards and achievements Award Year Category Nominee Result Ref. 2018 Icelandic Music Awards Pop Song of the Year "Hvað með það" 2021 Best Pop Song "Think About Things" Hlustendaverðlaunin Best Music Video Singer of the Year Himself Sögur Children's Awards Song of the Year "10 Years" Musician of the Year Himself Television Star of the Year Eurovision Awards Best Dressed Himself Most Iconic Prop Best Choreography Best Official Video "10 Years" 2024 Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards Artist of the Year Himself
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