Will Young

Will Young (January 20, 1979) was the shock winner of the 2002 Pop Idol talent show, beating favorite Gareth Gates. Growing up in Berkshire, Will Young graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in politics before pursuing his dream of becoming a singer. His debut single "Anything Is Possible" backed with a cover of Westlife's "Evergreen" was the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history but he soon expanded his horizons with singles like "Leave Right Now" (2003) and "Your Game" (2004) and worked with dance music producers Groove Armada and Gregg Alexander on "Changes" (2008). On stage, he has collaborated with an array of legendary performers including Burt Bacharach, Elton John, and James Brown, with whom he duetted on "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" at the Live 8 concert in Edinburgh. He is also known for his acting, appearing in the 2005 film Mrs. Henderson Presents. His studio album releases began with his studio debut From Now On (2002), which was followed by Friday's Child (2003), Keep On (2005), Let It Go (2008), Echoes (2011), and in 2015, 85% Proof, which reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart. His seventh album Lexicon was released in 2019 and featured the lead single "All the Songs." In 2021, he paid tribute to all the female artists he admired on the covers album Crying on the Bathroom Floor, which peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. After participating in the reality singing competition The Masked Singer in 2022, Will Young starred in the play Song From Far Away and announced the release of his upcoming album during his performance at Glastonbury 2023. Preceded by the singles "Falling Deep" and "Midnight," his ninth full-length outing Light It Up came out in 2024.