Will Young is star attraction at open air concert in Billericay (From Thurrock Gazette)

Will Young is star attraction at open air concert in Billericay

8:30pm Thursday 22nd July 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

WILL Young is something of a trailblazer. After winning the first ever Pop Idol in 2002 he cleared the path for talented and unknown singers across the world to follow his dream.

Yet he remains a rare breed from the Idol and X Factor franchises, and bar Leona Lewis, no one has come close to emulating his leap from pop contest winner to credible pop star.

Eight years on, nine million albums sales later, the 31-year-old is still here, and this weekend he’s literally here – performing in Billericay. How has he come this far?

“I don’t know if I tried to shake off Pop Idol,” he says. “It was just about growing as a performer and a song writer.

“I think people were surprised with my style of music. It will always be in a genre – mid tempo and slow – but there is something to be said for variety.It’s important to mix it up and you have to be brave.”

After shifting 1.8million copies of the now rather formulaic winner’s style song, a cover of Westlife’s Evergreen, Will was given room to explore his own songwriting inclinations.

This was an even braver move given Evergreen was to be certified the biggest selling single of the 21st century to date, but one that ultimately paid dividends.

The result was the 2003 follow-up album Friday’s Child, which cast the real Will Young mould, spawning the Number One Leave Right Now, and two further Top Five singles.

“I didn’t want it to become like a factory, and Leave Right Now was a better quality,” says Will.

With two more platinum albums and a further three Top Ten singles, the singer’s approach to making new music has largely stayed the same.

“I love the variety of it,” he explains in his soft, well-spoken voice. “The next one I’m doing is a very upbeat album, it’s all dancey pop. Groove Armada are responsible for that. I have worked with them for four or five years.

“I did tracks with them for my third and fourth record, but they never really fitted and just wouldn’t have worked on the albums. It’s hard to switch genres suddenly, but this doesn’t feel try hard.”

Switching genres is something Will’s not just doing within music though.

He embarked on a sideline career in acting after starring in the BBC film Mrs. Henderson Presents, alongside Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins. He has has gone on to perform in a Noel Coward revival, a Miss Marple drama, and even an episode of Skins.

He has also appeared on Question Time and presented documentaries.

“I call myself the cameo king,” he jokes. “But I would like to do more. The last two parts I have done have been funny parts and I like doing comedy.

On Sunday, Will is on the stage as a musician when he performs at an open air concert in Lake Meadows, in Billericay.

Having appeared at back-to- back Glastonbury festivals in 2008 and 2009, and also Bestival, T in the Park and V Festival in 2008, the singer’s developed a taste for the great outdoors.

“Open air concerts are more free and you don’t feel so constrained,” he says. I might try a couple of new songs out.”

He will be joined by pop starlet Sophie Ellis-Bextor and rising singer songwriter Mara Carlyle.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)