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
Keep On
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know I'm gonna keep on, gonna keep on
Nowhere else to go
I like it with the heat on, so put the heat on
I get there on my own
You know I'm gonna ride it, I won't hide it
I told you all along
But none of that don't matter, let's get it on
'Cause it pays to do your best
Do it better than the rest
And I hate to say I'm wrong,
I can see what's going on
And at times it makes me mad
'cause this thing is all I have
Got to see a way,
Oh, how I love it, how I love it
[Chorus]
It's a way to pay the bills
But I need to get my thrills
Just until I'm satisfied
But I need to feel alive
You gotta hurt before you heal
Take a dream and make it real
I've been waiting too long
Hey I'm coming, hey I'm coming
Like a diamond in the rough
Keep on 'til I've had enough
Gonna shimmer like the sun
I can warm up everyone
It's coming like a miracle
When you rise you never fall
I've been waiting so long
Hey it's coming, hey it's coming
[Chorus]
Why wait, what you holding on for?
I just go around and around
It isn't gonna take too long
It's late, but not too late
It's time for reaching out
Somebody's gonna take me away
You gotta hurt before you heal
Take a dream and make it real
I've been waiting too long
Hey I'm coming, hey I'm coming
[Chorus]
Keep on, keep on
Gonna keep on
Keep on now
In Will Young's song Keep On, the chorus features the repeated phrase "You know I'm gonna keep on, gonna keep on, nowhere else to go." From this line, we can infer that the singer is determined to persevere despite any obstacles. The heat in the second line could refer to passion or pressure to succeed, and the singer declares that they can handle it on their own. This could suggest that the singer is on a journey of self-discovery, willing to put in the effort to achieve their goals without relying on others.
The second verse speaks to the singer's frustration with their circumstances. They acknowledge the reality that achieving success requires hard work and experiencing failure. However, despite the negative feelings associated with struggle, the singer is determined to overcome any obstacles and push forward. The repeated chorus at the end of the song reinforces the idea that the singer is focused on persevering.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I'm gonna keep on, gonna keep on
I am determined to keep moving forward and not give up
Nowhere else to go
I have no other choice but to persevere
I like it with the heat on, so put the heat on
I enjoy the intense pressure and challenge
I get there on my own
I am independent and self-sufficient
You know I'm gonna ride it, I won't hide it
I will face my obstacles head-on with confidence
I told you all along
I have been upfront about my goals and intentions
But none of that don't matter, let's get it on
All that matters now is taking action and moving forward
'Cause it pays to do your best
Putting in the effort and striving for excellence is rewarding
Do it better than the rest
Aim to excel and outperform others
And I hate to say I'm wrong,
I don't like admitting mistakes or faults
I can see what's going on
I understand the situation and am aware of the challenges
And at times it makes me mad
Some circumstances frustrate me
'cause this thing is all I have
I am deeply invested in this endeavor
Got to see a way,
I need to find a path to success
Oh, how I love it, how I love it
Despite the challenges, I am passionate about this pursuit
It's a way to pay the bills
This endeavor is a means of making a living
But I need to get my thrills
I also desire excitement and fulfillment from it
Just until I'm satisfied
I will pursue it until I achieve my desired level of contentment
But I need to feel alive
I require a sense of vitality and purpose from my pursuits
You gotta hurt before you heal
Sometimes, you need to go through pain to find resolution
Take a dream and make it real
Turn your aspirations into a tangible reality
I've been waiting too long
I have been patiently anticipating this for a while
Hey I'm coming, hey I'm coming
I am finally making strides towards my goals
Like a diamond in the rough
I am currently unpolished but have the potential for greatness
Keep on 'til I've had enough
I will persist until I am fully satisfied
Gonna shimmer like the sun
I will shine radiantly and attract positive attention
I can warm up everyone
I can bring joy and positivity to others
It's coming like a miracle
Success is on its way, almost as if by divine intervention
When you rise you never fall
Once you achieve success, you will not suffer a decline
Why wait, what you holding on for?
There is no reason to delay, what is holding you back?
I just go around and around
I am stuck in a repetitive cycle of inaction
It isn't gonna take too long
Moving forward will not be a long and arduous process
It's late, but not too late
There is still time to make progress, even though it may be late in the game
It's time for reaching out
I need to take initiative and make contact with others
Somebody's gonna take me away
Someone will help me make progress towards my goals
Keep on
Persist and don't give up
Gonna keep on
I am determined to keep moving forward
Keep on now
There is no time like the present to take action
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LIPSON, MOREAS, WHITE, YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind