Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Adele) on rewriting career ambition, unlearning "should," and the agony of a #1 hit.

Dan Wilson’s songs have shaped our collective cultural landscape, from Semisonic’s enduring anthem "Closing Time" to multi-Grammy-winning collaborations like Adele’s "Someone Like You," The Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," and landmark works with Jon Batiste, Taylor Swift, and Chris Stapleton. Yet behind four decades of catalog mastery lies a quiet, rigorous inner examination of what it means to build an artistic life. In this spacious conversation, Dan reflects on stepping off the tour bus during the height of rock success to care for his medically fragile newborn daughter, the radical freedom of striking the word "should" entirely from one's creative vocabulary, and why Dan spent the entire ascent of a global number-one single terrified instead of celebrating.