Young was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, UK, with a non-identical twin, Rupert. He was educated at Horris Hill preparatory school and Wellington College.
He then attended the University of Exeter where he read Politics. At university, some of Young's old haunts included Timepiece, The Old Firehouse, and Harry's, where he used to work. In September 2001, he became a student at the Arts Educational School in Chiswick, London, starting a three-year course in musical theatre with a scholarship.
In February 2002, Young came to national prominence by singing in and winning the ITV singing contest/reality tv show Pop Idol.
Contrary to popular belief, Will was not a surprise winner when beating Gareth Gates in the final show; in fact, he gained the most votes nearly every week throughout the entire finals. A lot of 'casual' viewers of Pop Idol may have been surprised at Will's victory because Gareth had got a lot of publicity (partly) due to his stutter, perhaps creating the illusion that he was more likely to win than Will.
Young's first single was a double A-side featuring Westlife's song "Evergreen" and "Anything Is Possible", a new song written for the winner of the show by Cathy Dennis. This became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history selling 403,027 copies on its day of release. It went on to sell over 1.4 million copies and in the official list of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued later that year, it appeared 12th. Will subsequently made headlines by revealing he was gay. He went on to win the Brits Best Breakthrough Act Award and a plethora of other awards, including most recently Best Artist in the Digital Music Awards October 2004. Early singles of note include "Light My Fire" (done José Feliciano style), "Leave Right Now", and "Friday's Child". The latter is the title of his second album, which was largely self-penned, went five-times platinum, also receiving awards and critical acclaim.
Young received his second Brit Award in February 2005 for his co-written single "Your Game". Following sell out theatre and arena tours in 2004, he toured again at outside festival venues in Summer 2005. On July 6, 2005, he performed at Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push, the final concert of Live 8, where he did a duet with James Brown on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". His third album, Keep On was released in November 2005, together with the first single from same, "Switch It On".
On 29 September 2008, Young's fourth album, Let It Go, was released, and peaked at #2 in the UK albums chart. It was preceded by the single "Changes" on 15 September, which peaked at #10. His next single "Grace" was released on 1 December 2008, and peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart. Will's third single taken from the album will be "Let It Go", was released on 2 March 2009 in the UK, and peaked at #58 on the UK Singles Chart. The fourth and final single was "Tell Me the Worst", and was released on July 5, 2009 only in the UK. It served as a club promo, and featured some Fred Falke remixes.
A greatest hits collection, The Hits, was released on the 16th of November 2009. contains twelve songs from Young's first four studio albums, and two new tracks. The first is new single "Hopes & Fears", and the second is a ballad called "If It Hadn't Been for Love". The album will be released as a standard edition and a deluxe edition, which will include a DVD of all the music videos.
Songfacts reports that Jealousy, the first single from Young’s fifth studio album Echoes is a dance pop track produced by Richard X (Sugababes, Annie). The song will be released on August 21, 2011.
Young has been nominated for Ten BRIT Awards [4 x Best British Male - 4 X Best British single - Best pop Act- Best Breakthrough] . In May 2006, he was voted the UK's favourite artist ever in a poll conducted by commercial radio. In May 2007, he was voted the UK's favourite artist of all time for the second consecutive year.
Young has also broadened his repertoire by launching an acting career, taking a role in the BBC film, Mrs. Henderson Presents, starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, with Will playing the character of 'Bertie'. The film went on release in the UK on 25 November 2005, and received excellent reviews, not least for Young's performance as actor and singer in the movie. It includes a scene in which he appears naked.
Will Young supports the charity Women's Aid, about which he wrote: "I am proud to put my name beside this cause and hope that I may be able to help more people affected by the terrors of domestic violence as well as help to create a wider awareness within our society."
Will also supports Mencap and Positive Action Southwest (PASW) for which he performed at his first solo concert in July 2003 at Killerton Hall, Exeter.
Official Website: http://www.willyoung.co.uk/global/home
All The Things You Are
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I've found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.
You are the promised kiss of springtime
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I′ll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are are mine.
Time and again I've longed for adventure,
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
Finding your love I've found my adventure,
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
All that I want in all of this world is you.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
And some day I′ll know that moment divine,
When all the things you are are mine.
The song "All The Things You Are" by Will Young is a romantic and dreamy depiction of love and the journey to finding it. The lyrics contend with a longing for adventure and a desire to feel alive. The singer feels lost and uncertain, unable to identify what they are searching for. However, upon discovering their lover, they declare that they have found their adventure. With the mere touch of their partner's hand, their heart beats faster, and they realize that all they want in this life is to be with this person.
The second part of the song praises the lover further, elevating them to a nearly mythical status. The singer compares them to a kiss of springtime, a breathless hush of evening, and an angelic glow. The dearest things to the singer are who the lover is. The song feels optimistic, with the hope that one day, the singer can hold their lover in their arms and know that they have found that divine moment when everything they are is theirs.
In essence, the song speaks of the thrill of finding love and how it can transform one's perception of life. The singer has found their adventure, and the lover has become the center of their world. This romanticized view of love is common in many songs, but Will Young's voice adds a unique depth to the lyrics, making them feel all the more heartfelt and genuine.
Line by Line Meaning
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure,
Repeatedly, I have wished for something thrilling and exciting in my life.
Something to make my heart beat the faster.
Something that would pump up my heartbeat with excitement and adrenaline.
What did I long for? I never really knew.
I was unaware of what exactly I was searching for to fulfill my yearning for adventure.
Finding your love I’ve found my adventure,
When I met you and fell in love, it felt like I finally found the adventure I was seeking for in my life.
Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster,
Just being with you and holding your hand gives me a thrill and makes my heart rate increase.
All that I want in all of this world is you.
You are the one thing I desire above everything else in this entire world.
You are the promised kiss of springtime
Your love and affection are like a promise of new beginnings and a fresh start in life, just like the first spring kiss after a long winter.
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
Your love is so powerful that it makes even the cold and lonely winter season feel longer without you by my side.
You are the breathless hush of evening
Just like the peaceful and quiet moments at the evening's sunset, being in your presence leaves me speechless.
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
Your presence creates a feeling of anticipation like the start of a beautiful song that is about to begin.
You are the angel glow that lights a star,
You are my guiding light that leads me through the darkest times in my life.
The dearest things I know are what you are.
You are the most precious and cherished person in my life. Everything that you embody is dear and valuable to me.
Some day my happy arms will hold you,
I look forward to the day when I can hold you in my arms, to cherish and be grateful for your love.
And some day I’ll know that moment divine,
A time will come when I'll know that absolutely perfect moment- where everything seems just right, and we would be so content in each other's arms.
When all the things you are are mine.
That moment will come when everything about you; your love, care, and devotion, would finally be mine to keep forever and always.
Writer(s): Oscar Ii Hammerstein, Jerome Kern
Contributed by Sarah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sofievoller1401
The best version of this love song ever. What makes this version standout is the musical arrangement & the angelic voice of Will Young,when I listen to it ,it brings tears into my eyes,can’t describe it
@ernshaw78
This movie was so beautiful, it's the perfect combination of history and a comical bit of triviality. It's a shame that this movie did not win more awards for the incredible complexity of this history.
@foxdenham
A great song with many great performers over the years but Will Young moves into the top spot with what I now consider to be, the ‘definitive’ version of this song. Emotional, tender and damned near Perfect. X
@ninianmacmillan-keith7435
A wonderful rendition, one of the best. Hauntingly beautiful and fragile
@Sugarbehr1967
Just watching this again tonight. This song still brings me to tears. Will Young's version is priceless. And the movie is a treasure
@doodygee8346
Loved the film This is absolutely the finest rendition of this song that I've ever heard
@aussielaurence
This song always brings a tear to my eyes.
@Oshunsprite
Beautiful approach, exquisitely sung dear Will.
@milesclemente338
“I’ll know that moment divine
When all the things you are..
.....are mine” ❤️
@zeborah6984
Truly beautifully song sung beautifully by the wonderfull will young💙💚💛❤💜🖤