Cars slow on Music Row when their drivers hear a hook they recognize: a melody crafted in a small studio in Nashville by Itay Shimoni, the Israeli-born songwriter whose work has racked up almost 600 million YouTube views and Spotify streams.
Shimoni, 38, is a rising star in Nashville, but his success has been years in the making—rooted in Israel, refined in Los Angeles, and now taking on new life in the Tennessee capital he and his wife made home in 2024.
“I’m thrilled to be in Nashville. There’s so much creativity here,” Shimoni said. “So much amazing country music, but also a lot of pop. It’s inspiring, and I can’t wait to bring my art to Music City.”
A musical path
Shimoni grew up in the Haifa suburbs of Kiryat Motzkin and Kiryat Bialik. As a child, he sang at school ceremonies, learned guitar at 13, and immersed himself in theater.
His musical path sharpened during his service in the Israel Defense Forces, where he joined the IDF Northern Command Band as a singer and vocal arranger. He later studied composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and worked for years in Israeli musical theater, directing and composing for major productions such as “West Side Story” and “Zorro” in Shanghai.
But his true breakthrough came through a childhood friendship. His best friend since the age of 6—Israeli super-producer Jordy—invited him to co-write a song in 2018. That song landed in the hands of a then-rising teen star: Noa Kirel.
“After this experience, I found myself in the studio with Noa, and she was singing the song I wrote,” Shimoni recalled in a JNS TV interview on Dec. 3. “I told myself, this is what I want to do. I want people to say, ‘That song was written about me.’”
Their collaborations, including “Ani” and “Deja Vu,” became major hits in Israel and launched Shimoni as a professional songwriter.
A global roster
Since 2019, Shimoni has written more than 100 songs for international and Israeli artists. His credits include Alec Benjamin’s “I Sent My Therapist to Therapy” (more than 54 million streams); Netta’s “CEO” and “DUM”; Grammy-nominated Southern Avenue’s “Fences”; Gabriela Bee’s “I Follow You” and “I Dare Ya”; and James Maslow’s “On My Mind.”
Maslow said he instantly connected with Shimoni: “He’s got a great ear for melodies. Our first song turned into this amazing collab about promoting peace, and now we’re working on more music for my next EP.”
Bee was equally effusive: “The first song Itay and I worked on ended up being my next release—that’s how right it felt. I fully trust his artistic intuition.”
After several years in Los Angeles and then Boca Raton, Fla., Shimoni felt that he needed a place where music was alive in every corner. He surprised even himself when he told his wife he wanted to try Nashville.
“I have this big love—slash obsession—for country music,” he said, laughing. “I’ve listened to it daily for 16 or 17 years. Nashville felt right.”
The couple visited on a whim, taking an Airbnb home. After a few days, they decided to move.
“Nashville is amazing,” he said. “We fell in love with it immediately.”
While the city’s Jewish and Israeli communities are small compared to Miami or Los Angeles, Shimoni said the environment is warm and supportive.
Musical mission
Asked how he built his U.S. network so quickly, Shimoni said it comes down to showing up—and connecting.
“For me, building my audience was being with the artists in the room,” he said. “If we have chemistry, they call me back. Multiply that over years, and doors open.”
Shimoni said that his musical message is simple: to uplift people.
“If someone stops their day for two or three minutes to listen to my music, I want them to have fun,” he said. “I try to write songs that feel like they were written about you.”
What’s next for Shimoni? “Making good music,” he answered with a smile. “Every day I want to say, ‘I love what I do.’ And I want people to feel like a song was written about them.”
He is currently writing for artists across the United States and Israel, continuing work on James Maslow’s album, and preparing to release his own original material.
As for whether he sees himself staying in Nashville long-term?
“I hope that in a few years, I’ll know the entire city,” he said. “And hopefully, a lot of them will want to keep calling me back.”
