Noughties popstar unrecognisable 19 years after huge hit as he celebrates sobriety-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Daniel Powter looks a little different these days (Picture: @dpowtermusic/Instagram)

Daniel Powter looks very different 19 years on from his huge hit.

The singer is behind the iconic single Bad Day, which he wrote in 2002. Initially, he struggled to find a record label to release it, but that proved a huge mistake for them.

Three years later, Warner Bros. Records pushed out the song, and it reached the top five in more than ten countries worldwide.

To add to its list of accolades, it became the most played song on European radio, and the first song ever to sell two million digital copies in the United States. In 2006, the music video, which depicted two individuals experiencing repetitive days before meeting each other in the rain, became the eighth most-watched music video.

The Canadian artist’s tune has been used in everything from a Coca-Cola Christmas advert in France, to soundtrack eliminations on American Idol.

Now, Daniel looks unrecognisable from his heyday. Among the changes, his jawline and cheekbones are even more chiseled, and his stubble is now a little greyer. Although his boyish looks may be more mature now, he’s still looking well!

Bad Day was incredibly popular (Picture: Maria L Antonelli/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking about creating the global hit, Daniel, 53, previously told Songwriter Universe: ‘I had this melody which was stuck in my head – it wouldn’t go away. I would just sing it over and over again. Then I came up with the chord progression.

‘In the chorus, I sang the words Bad Day and it just seemed to fit. Then we recorded it. At the time, I couldn’t imagine that it would be a hit. I was just trying to make music.’

He also said that the song became ‘so big that it almost eclipsed me as an artist’.

However, his record label put a spanner in the works with an error which saw Bad Day included as a B-side on a follow up single and meant it couldn’t chart. As Daniel experienced loneliness on tour and coping with the ravages of fame and the music industry issues, he turned to alcohol and drugs.

‘I became a slave to it and ended up managing my life around it,’ he told Metro.

Daniel sought help in rehab, and has spoken honestly about the difficulties of recovery.

Daniel went through difficult times (Picture: Pinguet Benoit/ABACA/REX/Shutterstock)

He shares snippets from his life on Instagram (Picture: @dpowtermusic/Instagram)

‘Getting sober is a big step. It’s hard. You develop relationships based on you being f***** up and those people aren’t the best to be around when you get sober. 

‘It’s tough because you have to change yourself and your relationships and get the bad people out of your life. It takes a long time. Now I get to play music again and be happy,’ he added.

The father-of-three now appears to be thriving, and shares snippets of his music and global travel on Instagram.

In April, he even appeared on Canada’s Got Talent and surprised judges Howie Mandel, Kardinal Offishall, Lilly Singh, and Trish Stratus by performing his famous tune.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More