Daniela Rathana is one of those pop stars, who has never been interested in doing things lagom. She occupies a very particular type of corner of her own in Swedish pop: outrageous, glamorous, funny, vulnerable and just a little bit unhinged at times. That of course makes for some amazing live shows, so we had to be there when she played Gröna Lund.
On Gröna Lund’s big stage, Ratha-ta-taana arrives very much as advertised: full of herself, and unapologetically so. Backed by her tight-playing band and four dancers in gloriously colourful outfits, she turns the concert into something where a pop show meets a fever dream.
She opens with high-energy songs like Efterlyst and 6 till 9 setting a breathtaking pace. But soon enough she goes on to reveal a more vulnerable side singing Anne-Lie Rydé‘s Alltid blå, and Full av mig själv. There are delicious contradictions when Daniela goes from exclaiming F**k ditt liv to exposing her most personal bruises.
She also gives Veronica Maggio‘s Satan i gatan an energetic Rathana makeover, joined on stage by Jalda, a pop girlie upstart enjoying a huge success with her song Blond.
When Farstaglitter blasts out to start her encore, Daniela sings about ambition and insecurity, growing up in the suburbs and trying to become someone bigger than the circumstances you come from.
She then shows a striking dose of introspection with Where Strippers Go to Die, also showcasing once again that the mic truly is on and she really has a set of pipes under all that glitter and bravado.
She of course seals it all with a kiss, and has the audience spellbound and joining in as her choir for Kyss! It really is the perfect ending for the evening’s entertainment. After being too much, too loud and too honest for the duration of the show, she shows there is nothing wrong with being too much. And maybe she encourages the girls in the audience to want to be a little bit more as well.
All photos © Nina Uddin
