Daniela Rathana live review: no eclipse could dim Daniela Rathana at Liseberg
Daniela Rathana has become one of the most recognisable names in Swedish pop, moving effortlessly between mainstream popularity, prestigious cultural stages and major festivals. Before stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist, she worked as a backing vocalist for stars including Zara Larsson, Seinabo Sey and Sabina Ddumba. She went on to establish herself in her own right with her debut album Rathana Club and a distinctive blend of Swedish pop, R&B, soul and electronic music.
Her profile has grown considerably in recent years. Så mycket bättre brought her music to an even wider audience, while appearances on SVT’s Musikhjälpen and Babel have placed her firmly in Swedish popular culture. At the same time, she has retained her credibility in the festival and alternative music scene through appearances at Lollapalooza, while performing at the prestigious Polar Music Prize put her on stage in front of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Few Swedish artists currently seem as comfortable moving between these worlds. Rathana is simultaneously a mainstream favourite, a culturally respected performer and a festival artist, making her one of the more interesting figures in contemporary Swedish pop.
Daniela Rathana brings the summer back to Liseberg
My first encounter with Daniela Rathana was at Sommartorsdagarna in Borås in 2022, when she was still a new name to me. Even then, I was struck by her stage presence and energy. Since then, she has grown considerably as a live performer, so I was curious to see how she would approach a much bigger stage four years later.
This summer, however, Rathana had apparently decided to take things a little easier, with only two shows on her schedule. The first was this Liseberg appearance, followed by a performance at Gröna Lund the following week.
During the show, she mentioned being in a constant state of “summer anxiety”, with the only cure being getting out and playing live. It is an easy feeling to recognise as summer starts to slip away, making her appearance at Liseberg particularly welcome. There had even been talk of a solar eclipse that evening, although none was visible over Gothenburg. The sky remained stubbornly grey and overcast.
I stayed for the first hour of the performance, leaving while the concert was still in full swing. What follows is therefore a review of the first part of the show rather than a verdict on the entire set.
A theatrical entrance in red, white and blue
Rathana entered the stage in a spectacular short blue dress decorated with red and white details, complete with exaggerated puffed shoulders and sleeves. A pair of tall blue covers concealed her bright red boots at first, although they gradually slipped down during the performance before eventually coming off altogether.
The dress stopped just beneath the bust, corset-style, leaving her to complete the look with an elegant bright red bra. The overall effect had something of a Disney quality to it, perhaps most obviously recalling the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
It was an appropriate introduction to a concert that was never particularly interested in restraint.
Liseberg itself described Rathana ahead of the show as an artist who combines “club, soul and raw honesty”, and that description proved fairly accurate.
Eight people, one very busy stage
Rathana was accompanied by three musicians and four dancers, with the dancers rotating in and out of the action. At certain points, all eight people on stage were performing at once.
Among the musicians was guitarist Simon Eby, whom I recognised from Rathana’s Sommartorsdagarna performance in Borås and from other Swedish live shows. He was joined by bassist Ebba Nantarath, who also appeared to handle some form of mixing duties, and drummer John Bjurström, who sported lipstick-red kiss marks across one side of his face. Both Nantarath and Bjurström have previously been part of Rathana’s live band, alongside Eby.
The dancers were perhaps even more conspicuous.
They seemed to form two rather distinct pairs. The first consisted of two male dancers in drag, wearing red skirts and black-and-white striped tops. The second featured two women dressed in blue, with long braids flying through the air as they moved.
And moved they did.
The choreography involved running, crawling, twerking, headstands and even splits. At times, the dancers seemed almost like the main attraction rather than an accompaniment to the singer.
That impression may partly come from watching Rathana with fresh eyes, without an especially deep knowledge of her music. Nevertheless, there was no denying the sheer physicality of the performance.
Where Strippers Go To Die comes alive
Much of the first hour focused on Rathana’s latest album, Where Strippers Go To Die. The record itself moves between R&B-pop, electronic textures and emotionally exposed songwriting, turning personal turmoil into something playful, glamorous and occasionally abrasive.
“Mangatårar” built towards a huge crescendo before reaching a suitably grand finale. It was one of the evening’s more dramatic moments and demonstrated how effectively Rathana’s recorded material can be expanded for the stage.
“Fortare” was something else entirely: a shot of pure energy. The song came with a wild dance sequence in which even guitarist Simon Eby and bassist Ebba Nantarath joined in, running around the stage and dancing while continuing to play. Watching musicians perform that kind of choreography without dropping a beat was impressive in its own right.
Then there was the big one: “Fuck ditt liv”.
The opening distorted electric guitar was pre-recorded, which was a slight disappointment for me personally. I have a particular fondness for rock elements finding their way into other genres, and a live guitar could have made that opening even more exciting. On the other hand, doing it with a single guitarist would presumably have required some compromises. Simon Eby eventually stepped in when the chords proper began.
The song ended on a much quieter note, with Rathana and Eby standing together at the front of the stage, facing each other. As the final moments unfolded, they sat down side by side at the edge of the stage, bringing the song to an unexpectedly intimate close.
“Pillow Princess” provided another interesting change of mood. Here, the dancers were more restrained, allowing the song itself to occupy more of the foreground. A twangy guitar towards the end even gave the performance a faint country flavour.
From Rathana Club to Så mycket bättre
The set was not exclusively devoted to the newer album. Rathana also reached back to her debut, Rathana Club, including “Puss & kram” and “Farstaglitter”.
There was also room for “Vandraren”, Rathana’s interpretation of the Nordman classic from Så mycket bättre. Her participation in the TV4 programme was an important part of her journey from acclaimed newcomer to a much more widely recognised Swedish pop name, and the song made sense as part of a set designed to cover different stages of her career.
“Satan i gatan” and a very unexpected guest
One of the more surprising moments in the set was “Satan i gatan”, Veronica Maggio’s 2011 hit. Rathana recorded her version for the song’s tenth anniversary, as part of a project where several artists interpreted songs from Maggio’s acclaimed album.
Rathana’s connection with the song goes beyond simply being asked to cover it. In a 2021 interview, she revealed that she had specifically fought to be allowed to record “Satan i gatan”, having initially been offered another song.
However, at Liseberg, Rathana brought out young star Jalda to join her.
Not Veronica Maggio. Jalda.
For me, this was a genuinely puzzling choice. Rathana has previously performed “Satan i gatan” live with Miriam Bryant, so the idea of bringing another guest artist on stage for the song is not entirely new. Still, it is an unusual setup. Jalda was not there to perform one of her own songs, but solely to join Rathana for a cover of a song by another artist. I confess that I did not understand the logic.
It was certainly memorable, though perhaps not quite for the intended reasons.
A false ending and a spectacular costume change
Quite a long way into the concert, everyone lined up across the stage during “Farstaglitter”. For a moment, it looked as though the show was about to end with the traditional thank-you-and-goodbye routine.
It was not.
Instead, Rathana disappeared backstage for what turned out to be a quick costume change, roughly 45 minutes into the performance.
When she returned, the new outfit was considerably more revealing, despite apparently being small enough to have fitted underneath the first one. The blue dress was gone, replaced by something that was essentially a tiny red miniskirt held up by black shoulder straps.
The red lace bra remained, now accompanied by a layer of sheer red fabric at the back. It gave the impression of a bouquet of flowers, or perhaps an elaborately wrapped present.
More than anything, it looked like a full-blown carnival costume.
And it suited her.
Daniela Rathana remains impossible to ignore
By the time I left Liseberg, the concert was still going strong. I had only seen the first hour, but what I witnessed was a fast-moving, flamboyant and thoroughly entertaining production.
The thing that impressed me about Daniela Rathana when I first saw her in Borås in 2022 was her stage presence and energy. Four years later, she has taken both qualities several steps further.
The dancers obviously add an enormous amount of movement and spectacle, but Rathana herself remains the centre of gravity. There is something particularly enjoyable about seeing such a varied group of performers share the stage, including the queer dancers whom Rathana affectionately presented as “my girls”.
For someone deeply familiar with her music, the show may offer plenty of additional layers. For someone approaching Rathana with fresh eyes, however, there is an immediate conclusion to be drawn.
You are not going to be bored at a Daniela Rathana concert.
At Liseberg, she delivered Swedish pop with R&B and club influences, a generous dose of theatricality, plenty of choreography and an almost absurd amount of energy. Whether you came for Where Strippers Go To Die, Rathana Club, “Fuck ditt liv”, “Satan i gatan” or simply wanted to see what all the fuss was about, Rathana made a convincing case for herself as one of Sweden’s most entertaining live performers.
And if “summer anxiety” really can be cured by playing live, Rathana certainly seemed to have found the prescription.
This show was shot with
Camera bodies
- Sony a7 IIIClose-ups, long-range shots
- Sony a7R IIWide-angle shots
Camera lenses
- Samyang 35-150mm f2–2.8Close-ups, long-range shots
- Tamron 16-30mm f2.8Wide-angle shots
Concert photo gallery
