Will Young

Will Young

Ever since he first graced our screens on Pop Idol as a fresh faced young star in the making we've all had a softspot for Will Young. With 4 consecutive platinum albums under his belt he's had nothing but success ever since.

His new single, "Let it Go" comes out March 2nd and Femalefirst caught up with him to discuss the new track, performing with Elton John and what he sings in the shower.

Hi Will. We hear you've not been very well lately

No I haven't been very well I've had tonsillitis and I fear I'm getting it again.

So you won't be able to sing for a while?

Well hopefully I'm not getting it again but I have to have my tonsils out soon.

That's awful, so other than the tonsillitis how have you been?

I've been very well thanks. I've been doing lots of things, just been in Iceland doing a new video which is brilliant. I got to play a superhero and work with a wonderful director who makes me feel like I'm doing something of creative worth.

What was your superpower in the video?

Oh mine was queue jumping, thought that was quite a good super power.

"What was it like performing with Elton John on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh it was great. it was wonderful. He was brilliant absolutely amazing and he's so generous as a person and he's so up to date on his music. I loved the whole thing and I love him. I think that his songs are incredibale and to sing Daniel was great because its one of my favourite song of his as its such a great song the whole thing was brilliant. I can't bear New Years Eve so it wa nice for me.

How did that come about?

Well he asked me and I was so chuffed that he asked me I said yeah absolutely.

You have duetted with some big names like Elton John and James Brown (who Will performed with in him at the Olympic Part in London last year )

I think James Brown was great, I mean, they've both been great actually. Elton John was a real moment and I didn't kind of realise it until I was actually on stage and I thought but this is Elton John. He is probably one of the biggest stars really in the world in terms of music. He has really kept on going throughout but then James Brown is also such a legend. I don't know if I can chose between the two. I loved doing the perfromance at The Mall with James Brown that was great so I'd probably pick that as the best performance.

Is there anyone else you would liek to duet with?

Theres loads of people - absoluelty loads. I haven't really done many duets. but I think Bjork would be incredible to sing with. She'd be my number one.

Wow that would be amazing. So you're currently promoting the single, tell us about that.

It was quite personal to me at that time, I guess it's about growing up and realising you can't control everything. I think its a great song, I love the lyrics in it. Its really honest I love the line, "it's somehow typical of being a man." I love that.

Are you happy with the response to the song?

I don't know yet really its just new. Its always gone down well live we're just sort of getting into the beginning of it so you know I hope the response will be well once it starts going out on TV and things.

How about the response to the album?

I'm really chuffed about that. It's a funny time and you don't know what's going to happen you get some really big acts that aren't doing so well suddenly. You can't predict it so for me to come back and have a number one airplay with the first song, I was a little bit disapponinted with Grace actually because i thought that was an even better song and I think we should have released it later. That's something you can't really prdict and I'm happy, I'm really happy with the sales and I don't take it for granted. I think to still have a contract and to still be played on radio and still be on TV is a really good thing and to be nomianted for Best Male at the Brits, all those things particularly at the moment, I'm very lucky.

You're appearing on Question Time tomorrow (4th Feb) Are you looing forward to it?

I'm really looking forward to it, I'm very geed up for it. Hope they don't ask too many questions about the economy, I don't know anything about the economy but I'm quite excited actually becuase its one of my favourite shows. I'm very excited so hopfully it'll be a good one.

If you could pick the questions, what would you chose to be asked?

I think there should be an economy question. I think there's probably gonna be something on the strikes, probably something on the House of Lords. Maybe something on China and humnan rights, and something on the child report. I'd really like to be asked about the child report becuase I feel quite passionately about that actually and I agree with alot of what the report says, not all of it but most of it.

What was it like going on Top Gear

Top Gear was brilliant that's my other favourite programme, I'm just working through a list. I love cars and I'm obsessed with Top Gear. It was just a great thing to do, it's so it was hysterical and Jeremy Clasrkson was really funny. I loved the challenge of going round the track and I hope I get to do it again.

When you were promoting the album you encouraged fans to "Let It Go" by revealing all on an anonomous message board. What Would you confess?

What would I confess at the moment? Oh god. I'm trying to think . I'm doing alright at the moment actually maybe a frustration with my car. It doesn't seem to be working. I did get stuck in the snow in Cornwall just managed to get out so I think maybe that but otherwise not too much I want to let go of.

What have you got planned for the rest of 2009? Well I'm promoting the new song and the album for next month. Then I'm gonna have my tonsils out in like a month so got quite a few other thing. I've been working on a couple of musical like album ideas that i need to finish and stuff with my my brother's charity Mood Foundation, which helps people that have depression. Everytime we do promotionss for it we get alot more people using it and that's wonderful so many things really.

Will you be taking any time off?

Yeah a bit of time off. I'd quite like to go away to this retreat might do that for a bit and chill out in the mountains before I get old and haggered.

How was your recent tour?

It was great. It was probably one of the best tour i've done. It's been a really good year for live shows, with all the festivals, the duet with Elton and tour. I'm much happier whan i'm doing lots of live singing. It was kind of why I enter Pop Idol in the first place.

You have played alot of smaller venues this time around. Do you prefer those or bigger stadium gigs?

Well they're both so different. Stadiums are more creative as you get to formula a whole show so I like doing those. I don't know how more of those I'll do. I don't mind doing theaters, you can always still do one off big shows and with theaters I think its alot more personal. I quite enjoyed that it was simple and i didn't have to worry about dancing that much or costume changes.

What are Will fan's typically like?

They're very pasionate. I'd say and thankfully so. They're very passionate and have amazing loyalty and you don't take that for granted.

We ask every interview to come up with a question for the interview. Yours comes courtesy of Jem. She asks "What do you sing in the shower?"

Oh Jem, I love her record. It was a really good record. At the moment it is Golden Slumbers by The Beatles. Yeah I just seem to be singing that alot at the the moment.

Femalefirst - Kate Teasdale

Ever since he first graced our screens on Pop Idol as a fresh faced young star in the making we've all had a softspot for Will Young. With 4 consecutive platinum albums under his belt he's had nothing but success ever since.

His new single, "Let it Go" comes out March 2nd and Femalefirst caught up with him to discuss the new track, performing with Elton John and what he sings in the shower.

Hi Will. We hear you've not been very well lately

No I haven't been very well I've had tonsillitis and I fear I'm getting it again.

So you won't be able to sing for a while?

Well hopefully I'm not getting it again but I have to have my tonsils out soon.

That's awful, so other than the tonsillitis how have you been?

I've been very well thanks. I've been doing lots of things, just been in Iceland doing a new video which is brilliant. I got to play a superhero and work with a wonderful director who makes me feel like I'm doing something of creative worth.

What was your superpower in the video?

Oh mine was queue jumping, thought that was quite a good super power.

"What was it like performing with Elton John on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh it was great. it was wonderful. He was brilliant absolutely amazing and he's so generous as a person and he's so up to date on his music. I loved the whole thing and I love him. I think that his songs are incredibale and to sing Daniel was great because its one of my favourite song of his as its such a great song the whole thing was brilliant. I can't bear New Years Eve so it wa nice for me.

How did that come about?

Well he asked me and I was so chuffed that he asked me I said yeah absolutely.

You have duetted with some big names like Elton John and James Brown (who Will performed with in him at the Olympic Part in London last year )

I think James Brown was great, I mean, they've both been great actually. Elton John was a real moment and I didn't kind of realise it until I was actually on stage and I thought but this is Elton John. He is probably one of the biggest stars really in the world in terms of music. He has really kept on going throughout but then James Brown is also such a legend. I don't know if I can chose between the two. I loved doing the perfromance at The Mall with James Brown that was great so I'd probably pick that as the best performance.

Is there anyone else you would liek to duet with?

Theres loads of people - absoluelty loads. I haven't really done many duets. but I think Bjork would be incredible to sing with. She'd be my number one.

Wow that would be amazing. So you're currently promoting the single, tell us about that.

It was quite personal to me at that time, I guess it's about growing up and realising you can't control everything. I think its a great song, I love the lyrics in it. Its really honest I love the line, "it's somehow typical of being a man." I love that.

Are you happy with the response to the song?

I don't know yet really its just new. Its always gone down well live we're just sort of getting into the beginning of it so you know I hope the response will be well once it starts going out on TV and things.

How about the response to the album?

I'm really chuffed about that. It's a funny time and you don't know what's going to happen you get some really big acts that aren't doing so well suddenly. You can't predict it so for me to come back and have a number one airplay with the first song, I was a little bit disapponinted with Grace actually because i thought that was an even better song and I think we should have released it later. That's something you can't really prdict and I'm happy, I'm really happy with the sales and I don't take it for granted. I think to still have a contract and to still be played on radio and still be on TV is a really good thing and to be nomianted for Best Male at the Brits, all those things particularly at the moment, I'm very lucky.