Music Observer

Amanda Rakel’s Long Journey of Self-expression and Finding Her True Passion

Self-discovery is often a life-long journey, especially for someone who became self-aware and expressive at a very young age. For Danish-Swedish singer and songwriter, Amanda Rakel, she spent years developing herself and honing her skills in the area she felt she fitted into best, and with the support of her family, she grew from the little girl who always sang with her mother and siblings in the car into a young woman taking the music world by storm.

Influenced early by music from ABBA, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson, Amanda Rakel had ears for good music from a very young age. She also attended an international school with a comprehensive music program with her siblings and they all got accepted into the school’s choir. Outside school, Amanda learned to play the piano and enjoyed it, and thus, became a part of her as a budding musician.

Despite having all the resources to succeed musically and her innate potential to thrive as a musician, Amanda Rakel’s life was not without a few hiccups. She had a car accident at  the age of four in which she sustained a bloody nose after unbuckling her seatbelt at the time her mom hit the car brakes. When she was 19, she got hospitalised for clinical depression and that period defined the most significant part of the musical career she has today. She started writing long journal entries before she took to poetry to express herself. The poetry words transcended into melodies, and she began voice recording those songs. Even though she never put it out there that she was writing songs, by the time she did, two of the songs she wrote at the time, “Sweet Tongues” and “Into My Lungs,” are part of her discography.

For her education, she attended a university in Staten Island after having her bachelor’s degree studies in London interrupted by her hospitalization. She left the university in Staten island after two years and took her music seriously as a profession. During the time she was structuring her music career, she returned to school and completed her bachelor’s degree online. In November 2015, she began to work with her long-term co-writer, Mette Damn, after moving to Copenhagen to pursue her music career. She released her first single, “Sweet Tongues,” earlier in September of the same year.

“Sweet Tongues” gave her the perfect start in the music industry as it helped her to make some valuable connections early in her career. The song was played on Denmark Radio’s Karriere Kanoen, and Sony Music Denmark reached out to Amanda in a musical partnership. She has not looked back ever since, with numerous songs filling up her catalog. Her songwriting sheds light on her life experiences, which explains why many of her listeners find her songs relatable.

Since 2015, Amanda Rakel has released numerous singles like “Sweet Tongues,” “I Tried” (featured on New Music Friday Denmark), “2 AM Friends,” “Magnetic,” “Indigo Blue,” “Wine Stained Lips” (recommended on DR Karriere Kanonen),” “I Don’t Wanna Dance” and “August.” In addition, she released the EP Soaked in 2017, which featured five songs and was produced by Nikolai Kornerup (Mø, Kwamie Liv) & Mette Damm. In 2021, she released only one single, “Higher Ground” with Boom Dice, which became a favorite song in Footlocker stores in the United Kingdom.

Over the next few years, Amanda Rakel sees her music traveling beyond borders and making it to international charts in different countries. Her come-up has been inspiring, and she hopes to continue showing young people that it’s all right to take their time deciding on what they want to pursue in their lives.

Currently, Amanda is working on several new projects involving The FifthGuys and Grammy Nominated Producer, Stonebridge. Slated for release later this summer, expect to be moved by more intense vocals surrounded by uplifting production, bringing to life the soul of this talented artist.

You can also follow Amanda Rakel on Instagram.

Share this article

(Ambassador)

This article features branded content from a third party. Opinions in this article do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Music Observer.

(Ambassador)

This article features branded content from a third party. Opinions in this article do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Music Observer.