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
Take Control
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you've had to face the fight that planned to fall
oh how I see the change that lights in your eyes
and now that you've found it maintain the strength to realise
(Bridge)
Day after day he's made you live his sorrow
time after time you've lived to sing into his tune (yeah,yeah)
without his, without his love
(Chorus)
And its ok
you'll be fine
and its alright
and its your time
I know you'll arrive at the place you've been trying
your fine to be someone else
and its ok
your time has come at last
your time has come at last!
Have you received the news thats winding its way (heh heh)
do you realise, whats happening today (yeahayey)
stand up and breathe the sight, you've earnt through this pain
this is a race thats won, so turn and go (oh oh oh oh oh)
(Bridge)
Day after day he's made you live his sorrow
time after time you've lived to sing into his tune (yeah,yeahahaye)
this is the reason you start your own adventure now
without his, without his love
(Chorus)
And its ok
you'll be fine
and its alright.....
its your time (ooh)
I know you'll arrive at the place you've been trying
your fine to be someone else
and its ok..
your time has come at last.... (Ummmm)
coz your time has come at last (yeah, hayayey)
coz he's going down, your coming round to your new life (yeah)
coz he's going down, your coming round to your new life (Ummm)
take control (trol)
take control
you take control
(ummm)
Im asking you (umm).
The lyrics of Will Young's song "Take Control" are about a person who has had to overcome struggles in order to find their own path and identity. The first verse talks about how the person has had to search within themselves to find their soul and have the courage to face whatever obstacles come their way. Young sings about how he can see the change in their eyes, and encourages them to maintain their newfound strength and continue on their journey. The bridge describes how the person has been living for someone else's happiness, but now they are starting their own adventure without that person's love.
The chorus reassures the person that they will be alright and that their time has come. They've been trying to get to a certain place, and finally, they've arrived. It's their time to be someone else and take control of their life. The second verse is a call to action, telling the person to stand up and breathe in the sight they've earned through their pain. It's a race they've already won, so they should turn and go towards their new life.
Overall, "Take Control" is a song about personal growth, self-discovery, and empowerment. It urges the listener to take control of their own life, away from toxic influences and with the belief that they can succeed.
Line by Line Meaning
You've had to raid your mind to find your soul
You had to deeply search within yourself to find your true identity and purpose
you've had to face the fight that planned to fall
You had to overcome the obstacles that tried to bring you down
oh how I see the change that lights in your eyes
I can visibly see the growth and transformation in you
and now that you've found it maintain the strength to realise
Now that you have found your true self, hold on to your newfound strength and have the courage to pursue your dreams
Day after day he's made you live his sorrow
Every day he made you suffer with him and his problems
time after time you've lived to sing into his tune (yeah,yeah)
Repeatedly, you lived your life according to his rules and expectations
this is the reason you start your own adventure now
This is why it's time for you to embark on your own journey now
without his, without his love
Without his influence and love guiding you
And its ok
you'll be fine
and its alright
and its your time
I know you'll arrive at the place you've been trying
your fine to be someone else
and its ok
your time has come at last
your time has come at last!
You will be okay and everything is fine. It's your moment to shine, and I believe you will succeed in achieving your goals. You are allowed to explore and pursue a new version of yourself because it's your time to do so. Your time has finally come!
Have you received the news thats winding its way (heh heh)
do you realise, whats happening today (yeahayey)
stand up and breathe the sight, you've earnt through this pain
this is a race thats won, so turn and go (oh oh oh oh oh)
Did you receive the message that's on its way? Are you aware of what's happening right now? Stand up and take a deep breath; you have earned this clarity through your struggles. You have already won the race, so go ahead and start a new journey.
coz he's going down, your coming round to your new life (yeah)
coz he's going down, your coming round to your new life (Ummm)
take control (trol)
take control
you take control
(ummm)
Im asking you (umm).
He is going down, and you are rising to a new and better life. You are now in control of your life, and it's time to start taking charge. Take control and own your destiny. I'm asking you to take charge of your life.
Contributed by Cooper G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Russell Chapman
I just adore you Will Young X
Julie Baxter
Beautiful Song x
Sajjad Ali
anyone going to the tour request tjis please!