Damian Ardestani, known professionally as XOV, was born on November 29, 1985, in Teheran, Iran. He is a Swedish musician who gained prominence in the music scene with the help of New Zealand singer Lorde in 2014. Born into a family that sought refuge in Tensta, Stockholm, Sweden, Ardestani faced early hardships including his father's drug addiction and subsequent family breakdown. By age 13, he was involved in criminal activities. XOV's breakthrough came in 2014 with the release of "City of Lights", a vocal version of an instrumental piece by Lush & Simon, which was produced under Armin van Buuren’s Armada Music. The track gained significant traction on platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud, earning promotions from major DJs such as Tiësto, Hardwell, and Nicky Romero. This success led to collaborations with producer Jonas Saeed (KONO) and the release of several songs on Soundcloud, including "Animal", which was featured in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. His single "Lucifer" became a hit in Germany and Sweden, reaching number 12 on the German iTunes charts. XOV's debut album, Wild, was released in July 2015, featuring notable tracks like "DTTM (Don't Talk to Me)"
