Canadian pop singer and songwriter Daniel Powter gave the world a much-needed pick-me-up with his ubiquitous 2005 smash “Bad Day.” • Powter started playing the violin at a young age but switched to the piano at 10 after some bullies destroyed his instrument. • Due to his struggles with dyslexia, he found it difficult to read sheet music while studying piano at university. He dropped out at 20 and began writing songs and playing small clubs. • The singer released his debut album, I’m Your Betty, in 2000. • He signed with Warner Bros. for the release of his self-titled 2005 sophomore album, featuring the lead single “Bad Day,” a song he’d first recorded in 2002. “Bad Day” got a major boost when Coca-Cola chose it for a European ad campaign. It was also featured on the fifth season of American Idol. • With its hummable melody and super-relatable lyrics, “Bad Day” went Top 10 in countries around the world. It reached No. 1 in the US, where it’s gone triple platinum, and No. 2 in the UK. On the strength of the single, the Daniel Powter album went Top 10 in the US. • Powter has followed his breakthrough with three additional albums: Under the Radar (2008), Turn on the Lights(2012), and Giants(2018). None have matched the success of his early work or yielded another major international hit.