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
Side by Side
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's got me down, it's brought me to my knees
If I find perfect inspiration
Just set me free, I'm begging darling please
I got to say
This is my time
I feel it's right
Stay with me tonight
I'm losing you lately
I don't want to say goodbye
If you wanna make it happen, maybe we can work it out
You and I, you know, have to try
Side by side
I can't hide
Sitting here, thinking what you say
All those words running round my head yeah
When it came, I read between the lines
Many thoughts whispered in my mind
I got to say
This is my time
I feel it's right to tell you baby
Please stay with me baby
Stay with me tonight
I'm losing you lately
I don't want to say goodbye
If you wanna make it happen, maybe we can work it out
You and I, you know, have to try
Side by side
I can't hide
You are my dream complete with me
You are my dream complete with me
Are we ever gonna last forever
Are we ever gonna make it through
Don't you know that it's now or never
I cannot deny, I gotta be true to you
Please stay with me baby
Stay with me tonight
I'm losing you lately
I don't want to say goodbye
If you wanna make it happen, maybe we can work it out
You and I, you know, have to try
Side by side
I can't hide
The lyrics to Will Young's song "Side by Side" express feelings of uncertainty and desperation in a relationship. The singer is unsure about the current state of their relationship and how to move forward, but they are begging their partner to stay and work through it together. The line, "Are we ever gonna last forever? Are we ever gonna make it through?" highlights the singer's doubts about the longevity of their relationship.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of sticking together and trying to make things work - "If you wanna make it happen, maybe we can work it out / You and I, you know, have to try / Side by side." The phrase "Side by side" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's desire to face their problems together with their partner, rather than alone.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a struggling relationship, but one where the singer still has hope and is willing to put in the effort to save it.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know about this situation
The situation is difficult for me to comprehend
It's got me down, it's brought me to my knees
The situation is emotionally challenging and overwhelming
If I find perfect inspiration
If I find something that inspires me completely
Just set me free, I'm begging darling please
Allow me to pursue my inspiration, I implore you
I got to say
I have something to express
This is my time
This is the right moment for me
I feel it's right
I am certain of my feelings
Please stay with me baby
I urge you to remain by my side, my love
Stay with me tonight
Stay with me through this evening
I'm losing you lately
I sense that I am losing your affection
I don't want to say goodbye
I do not wish to part ways
If you wanna make it happen, maybe we can work it out
We can try to resolve our differences and make it work
You and I, you know, have to try
We must make an effort together
Side by side
In close proximity, together
I can't hide
I cannot conceal my feelings
Sitting here, thinking what you say
I am reflecting on what you have said to me
All those words running round my head yeah
Your words are echoing in my mind
When it came, I read between the lines
I scrutinized your words for deeper meaning
Many thoughts whispered in my mind
I have numerous thoughts circling my mind
You are my dream complete with me
You are my perfect partner and soulmate
Are we ever gonna last forever
Will our relationship endure eternally?
Are we ever gonna make it through
Will our relationship survive through tough times?
Don't you know that it's now or never
We must act promptly or never at all
I cannot deny, I gotta be true to you
I must be honest and stay committed to you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JULIAN GALLAGHER, S HALE, D MORGAN, RICHARD STANNARD, WILL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind