Hailing from the island of Java, Indonesia, Jacob Koopman is an exciting example of what happens when an aspiring musician decides to pick up a guitar and spread their wings beyond their homeplace. As of 2024, Jacob Koopman has earned himself a powerful voice, a huge following on social media, and plenty of passport stamps in the process - with the artist constantly busking across the globe. Here’s a quick rundown of why you should listen to Jacob Koopman

First up. Who exactly is Jacob Koopman?
Jacob Koopman is a Dutch-Indonesian singer, songwriter, and busker. He was born on the island of Java but was raised in Bali for most of his youth. Having played music from an early age, he began busking at 19 and never looked back. He developed a steady fanbase over many years, with listeners being drawn to Jacob because of his earnest, soulful renditions of classic rock and pop songs. His voice has been a decisive factor in his growth, too, with many praising how his distinctive, unusual accent adds a lilting quality to many of the songs he covers. All of this is helped by the fact that he has a wide tonal range and an incredibly impressive falsetto.

Jacob has busked in my countries throughout the world but, in recent years, he has adopted Ireland as a kind of second home. Speaking to fans about his decision to move there, he said: “Why not? I had a bunch of reasons to go there and a bunch of reasons to leave…I’m torn at times but I have it good [here].”

Jacob frequently records and performs in Dublin, and he has made a name for himself there within the local Irish music scene, as well as throughout the wider world.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Jacob Koopman’s style is his uncanny ability to make his live street performances sound stadium-sized. Typically armed with a PA system, an electric guitar, loop pedals, and his one-in-a-million voice, Jacob has a compelling way of filling up every square inch of a main street with music. He’s at his best when positioned in the middle of a wide city centre thoroughfare, and it’s not uncommon to see dozens of passers-by fanning out in a semi-circle to listen to him play.

Despite his modest aspect and young age, Jacob already sounds like someone who should be playing concert halls and arenas worldwide.

What type of music does Jacob Koopman play?
Jacob is best known for his precise covers of many timeless classics, including hits like Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me’ and Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’. He has also offered fans his own spin on more recent releases, like ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra, or ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane.

Jacob frequently collaborates with other artists, too, with both his planned and impromptu duets with fellow buskers. Many of these duets have resulted in viral videos, or have become fan favourites.

Notably, Jacob also highlights his Indonesian heritage in his busking, whenever and wherever he can. He has been known to incorporate covers from fellow Indonesian artists into his setlist, such as pop artist Pamungkas, even when he’s playing to more Western audiences.

As with plenty of other hard-grafting buskers out there, Jacob does write and record his own music, as well as recording some of the most memorable covers from his repertoire.

In fact, Jacob has an extensive discography, which dates back to 2014. He has shared two EPs - 2017’s Blindfold EP and 2019’s Silhouettes - and almost a dozen singles with fans over the years.

Jacob’s original songs deserve praise in their own right - as many of them are markedly different from what fans might expect based on his busking. His highest streaming original tracks - such as ‘Fade Away’ and the six-figure-streaming song ‘Weight of the Wave’ - embrace elements of electronica and ambient music, meaning that it’s often difficult to pin down Jacob’s genre.

As an artist, Jacob has been vocal with his fans about the fact that he’d like to perform more original songs while busking, but that the demands of street performance mean that passers-by often prefer to hear hits they already know.

What else should I know about Jacob Koopman?

Jacob Koopman has undertaken a wide variety of side music projects, beyond his busking. Under the moniker of ‘futurescape.’, Jacob hustles as a heavy metal/nu-metal artist.

He has released several songs under this guise, with the project picking up steam in the last 12 months. He shared his latest single, ‘Control’, in late 2023.

Jacob has become something of a jack-of-all-trades in terms of documenting his life and his career as a busker. He frequently releases lifestyle vlogs and Q&As, allowing fans a peek into his journey as an artist.

Many of these vlogs are actually wildly entertaining in their own right. They have included behind-the-scenes insights into what’s like to be hired to busk on a major cruise ship, and what happens when you launch surprise busking sessions with strangers on Omegle. All of Jacob’s activities speak to how he is a born entertainer, who constantly finds inventive ways of relating to fans.

Where does Jacob Koopman do most of his busking?
Jacob has opted for a cross-continental approach when it comes to his busking, meaning that he’s popped up on city streets everywhere from Sydney, to Seoul, to places across Europe.

However, in recent years, Ireland had served as something of a second home for Jacob Koopman. Jacob has frequently been seen busking in Dublin’s Grafton Street, following in the footsteps of many of the country’s busking legends - such as Hozier and Glen Hansard - and recent stars, such as Allie Sherlock.

Where can I find out more about Jacob Koopman?

Readers can find out more about Jacob Koopman on his website. He is also active on Instagram and YouTube.