Zak Abel
Zak David Zilesnick (born 1 March 1995), better known professionally as Zak Abel, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He has also been an English Cadet national table tennis champion. He is known for songs including "Be Kind", "Unstable", "Say Sumthin", and "Freedom" (as a featured artist with Kygo).
Also recorded as Zak Zilesnick · Zak David Zilesnick
Zak Abel

Mickey83 · CC BY 4.0
- Name
- Zak Abel
- Birth Name
- Zak David Zilesnick
- Born
- 1 March 1995
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Occupation
- singer-songwriter · table tennis player · singer · songwriter · musician
- Fields
- pop music · contemporary R&B · tropical music · electronic music · soul · highlife
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Documentary summary
Zak David Zilesnick (born 1 March 1995), better known professionally as Zak Abel, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He has also been an English Cadet national table tennis champion. He is known for songs including "Be Kind", "Unstable", "Say Sumthin", and "Freedom" (as a featured artist with Kygo).
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Note VALÉORINE
Zak Abel (born 1995) is a British musician, singer and singer-songwriter, among other activities. The musician was born in London. Genres include contemporary R&B, electronic music and highlife, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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wikidata · Q27804532 · wikipedia · Zak Abel
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Zak Abel • Birth Name — Zak David Zilesnick • Alias — Zak Abel • Born — 1 March 1995 • Origin — London, England, UK • Genre — * Pop • R&B • tropical • electronic • soul • Highlife • Years Active — 2014–present • Label — Atlantic
Early and personal life
Early and personal life
His father, who had been born in Morocco and immigrated to Israel, died when Zilesnick was 12 years old. Zilesnick is Jewish. He grew up in Hendon with his mother Rachel, and attended the Jewish state school Matilda Marks, and University College School, from which he graduated in 2013. He later moved to Hackney. He is a vegan. Having been suffering from hearing loss, he was diagnosed with otosclerosis aged 21 and underwent surgery on his right ear. This restored most of the volume but affects his ability to hear pitch and so he had to relearn it. He also has hearing loss in his left ear and wears a hearing aid.
Table tennis youth player
Table tennis youth player
He was ranked No. 1 in the Cadet age group in England and was 2009 Cadet Boys' Singles national champion at the age of 14; he was also ranked No. 5 for under 18s in England. Between 2008 and 2010, he won the Under 15 national singles and Under 18 doubles titles. In 2010, he was ranked number 39 in the senior category.
Music career
Music career
• Illustration — Abel performing as a supporting artist for Take That in Italy, summer 2024 Zilesnick won a competition to sing at Israel's Yom Haatzmaut celebration in Wembley Stadium when he was in primary school. He made a featured appearance on the UK top 20 hit "Unmissable" with Gorgon City. He has also released two extended plays, entitled Joker presents Zak Abel and One Hand on the Future. In 2016, he worked with producers such as Kaytranada and Wookie on his debut album, Only When We're Naked, which was released on 6 October 2017, and debuted at number 100 on the UK Albums Chart. He was signed by Atlantic Records. On 7 May 2023, he replaced Freya Ridings in the Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
Studio albums
Studio albums
• Title — Details — Peak chart positions • UK • Only When We're Naked — * Released: 6 October 2017 * Label: Atlantic * Formats: CD, DL — 100 • Love Over Fear — * Released: 25 August 2023 * Label: BMG Rights Management * Formats: CD, DL — — • "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Extended plays
Extended plays
• Title — Details • Joker presents Zak Abel — * Scheduled: 6 February 2015 * Label: Atlantic Records * Formats: DL • One Hand on the Future — * Scheduled: 28 August 2015 * Label: Atlantic Records * Formats: DL
Singles
Singles
• As lead artist • Title — Year — Album • "These Are the Days" — 2014 — Joker presents Zak Abel • "Wise Enough" (with Joker) — 2015 • "Say Sumthin" — One Hand on the Future • "Everybody Needs Love" — 2016 — Non-album single • "Unstable" — 2017 — Only When We're Naked • "Rock Bottom" (featuring Wretch 32) • "All I Ever Do (Is Say Goodbye)" • "Only When We're Naked" • "The River" • "Love Song" — 2018 — rowspan="2" Non-album singles • "You Come First" (featuring Saweetie) • "The Power" (with Duke Dumont) — 2019 — Duality • "Sad in Scandinavia" (with Seeb) — 2020 — Sad in Scandinavia • "Be Kind" — 2021 — rowspan="5" Non-album singles • "Right Side of the Bed" • "Why Can't We Get Along" • "Less of a Man" • "Good Times" (with Sheku Kanneh-Mason) — 2022 • "What Love Is" — 2023 — Love Over Fear • "Dance with You (The Comeback)" • "Woman" • "How Do We Stay in Love?" • "Home" — 2025 — rowspan="5" • "My Way" • "Brother to Me" (with Rhys Lewis) • "Champagne Supernova" • "Hallelujah" — 2026 • As featured artist • Title — Year — Peak chart positions — Album • UK — UK Dance — GER — SCO — SWI • "Higher" (Wookie featuring Zak Abel) — 2014 — — — — — — — — — — — Non-album single • "Unmissable" (Gorgon City featuring Zak Abel) — 19 — 5 — — — 16 — — — Sirens • "Make You Love Me" (Jarreau Vandal featuring Zak Abel) — 2017 — — — — — — — — — — — Non-album single • "Bad" (Don Diablo featuring Zak Abel) — 2020 — — — — — — — — — — — Forever • "Freedom" (Kygo featuring Zak Abel) — 77 — — — 90 — — — 25 — Golden Hour • "Endless Summer" (Alan Walker featuring Zak Abel) — 2023 — — — — — — — — — — — Walkerworld • "For Life" (Kygo featuring Zak Abel and Nile Rodgers) — 2024 — 75 — 29 — — — — — 75 — Kygo • "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other appearances
Other appearances
• Title — Year — Album — Artist • "Ten More Days" — 2015 — Stories — Avicii • "Beautiful Escape" — Beat Tape 2 — Tom Misch • "Drink to You" — 2018 — Blue — Jonas Blue • "Gotta Get Thru This" — 2019 — Garage Classical — DJ Spoony with Katie Chatburn and The Ignition Orchestra
Songwriting credits
Songwriting credits
• Title — Year — Artist(s) — Album — Written with • "I'll Be Gentle" (with John Legend) — 2017 — Paloma Faith — The Architect — Paloma Faith, Thomas Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn • "Somebody" (with HRVY & Nina Nesbitt) — 2018 — Sigala — Brighter Days — Bruce Fielder, Sky Adams, Daniel Shah, Lawrie Martin-Prime, Justus Nzeribe

Zak Abel performing as a supporting artist for the Take That concert in Trani, Italy
Mickey83

Zak Abel performing as a supporting artist for the Take That concert in Trani, Italy
Mickey83
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Herenda, Devin. Interview: Zak Abel. songwritingmagazine.co.uk. Songwriting Magazine. 30 January 2022.
- 2.Abel, Zak. Artist Interview: Zak Abel. CrowdSurfer. 2021-03-09.
- 3.Abel and willing to be a success. Thejc.com. 19 May 2016.
- 4.Zak Abel.
- 5.The Gower 2013. issuu.com. 19 January 2015.
- 6.Zak Abel on Instagram: ".Happy #WorldVeganDay to everyone in the world. I've been vegan for just over a year now & it's one of the best decisions I ever made.". Instagram.com. 2018-11-01.
- 7.Bray, Elisa. Meet the Jewish child table tennis ace who became a music icon. The Jewish Chronicle. 18 August 2023.
- 8.Zak Abel talks Love Over Fear, major label turmoil, and coping with hearing loss. headlinermagazine.net.
- 9.The Maccabi Awards: In full. Thejc.com. 18 February 2010.
- 10.Only When We're Naked by Zak Abel on Apple Music. iTunes Store (AU).
- 11.Official Charts Company. Zak Abel Official Chart history.
- 12."Zak Abel: From table tennis star to music sensation" — Table Tennis England. Tabeltennisengland.co.uk.
- 13.Freya Ridings pulls out of Coronation Concert. The Independent. 2023-05-06.
- 14.Official Charts Company. GORGON CITY FT ZAK ABEL full Official Chart History.
- 15.Joker Presents Zak Abel – EP by Zak Abel on Apple Music. iTunes Store (GB).
- 16.One Hand on the Future by Zak Abel on Apple Music. iTunes Store (GB).
- 17.Sad in Scandinavia - Single by Seeb & Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 18.Be Kind - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 19.Right Side Of The Bed - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 20.Why Can't We Get Along - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 21.Less Of A Man - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 22.Good Times - Single by Zak Abel & Sheku Kanneh-Mason on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 23.What Love Is - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 24.Dance with You (The Comeback) - Single by Zak Abel on Apple Music. Apple Music.
- 25.Zak Abel Returns with "Home". PM Studios. 17 January 2025.
- 26.Official Charts Company. Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 03 May 2024 - 09 May 2024.
- 27.GfK Entertainment. Zak Abel. officialcharts.de.
- 28.Official Charts Company. Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 05 October 2014 - 11 October 2014.
- 29.Hung Medien. Discographie Zak Abel. swisscharts.com/.
- 30.Bad (feat. Zak Abel) - Single by Don Diablo on Apple Music. iTunes Store.
- 31.Stack, Chris. Kygo releases stunning melodic gem, 'Freedom', featuring Zak Abel. Dancing Astronaut. 17 April 2020.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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