Belli's first acting credit was as the role of a street hustler named Darren Jacobs on two episodes of The District in 2002 and his first TV appearance was on an episode of the game show Street Smarts.
In 2008, Belli was featured on the single artwork for the song "Breakin' Up" by Rilo Kiley. He has also modeled as part of the Tranimal Master Class Workshop at the Machine Project, which was photographed by Austin Young.
Belli is a member of the band Tranzkuntinental, which made its debut at The Roxy in 2009. The band was started by Charlie Paulson and Xander Smith and features drag queens Detox, Kelly Mantle, Rhea Litré, and Vicky Vox.
In January 2011, he was featured in Rihanna's music video "S&M" along with Detox and Morgan McMichaels as back-up dancers.
World of Wonder contacted Willam's manager asking for him to audition for the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. In November 2011, Logo TV announced that Belli was among 13 contestants competing on the fourth season. Fellow castmate Chad Michaels had competed with Belli in the California Entertainer of the Year Pageant in 2010. Belli won the main challenges in the episodes "Float Your Bloat" and "Frenemies," but was disqualified in the latter. In the episode "Reunited," Belli stated that his disqualification was due to conjugal visits made by his husband in his hotel room. Belli used the publicity of his disqualification to release his single "Chow Down," which was a parody of Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" that addressed the 2012 Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy. The song featured Detox and Vicky Vox.
On March 12, 2012, he released his first single "Trouble," which was produced by RuPaul's Red Hot collaborator Tom Trujillo. The music video for the song was directed by porn director Chi Chi LaRue and premiered on Logo TV. On March 21, Belli released "The Vagina Song," a parody of "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars as his third single, which had been previously uploaded to YouTube in 2010. The music video was directed by Michael Serrato, who also directed Belli's music video for "Chow Down."
Belli released "Love You Like a Big Schlong" on April 29, 2012. Produced by Uncle Slam, the song parodies "Love You Like a Love Song" by Selena Gomez & the Scene. The song was inspired by Belli's loss to 7-year-old Eden Wood in a lip syncing contest during a segment of the 2012 NewNowNext Awards.
In November 2012, Belli was featured with country music artist Drake Jensen on a cover of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man." That same month, Belli self-released his debut album The Wreckoning via his website.
In January 2013, Belli released "Boy is a Bottom," featuring Detox and Vicky Vox, to coincide with the fifth season premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race. The song is a parody of "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys and also features an altered version of the "breakdown" from "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" by En Vogue. "Boy is a Bottom" debuted at number six on Billboard's Comedy Digital Songs, selling 3,000 downloads in its first week.
On August 14, 2013, Belli was featured along with Shangela, Detox, Raven, Morgan McMichaels, Shannel, and Courtney Act, in Lady Gaga's lyric video for her single Applause.
American Apparel Ad Girls
Willam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oo, oh, whoa
I like it when you don't touch my hair.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oo, oh, whoa
I'd prefer it if you don't touch my hair.
Chapstick and mascara.
Laser hair removal.
Willam, (ahem) perhaps?
We know it when you're creepin'. You know our D is there.
So please feel free to like us
and buy these tops we wear.
These here shirts.
(Oh my gosh, I'm on that t-shirt!)
They're good shirts.
Fag swag.
They're good shirts.
(This merchandise is for sale.)
Sickening.
Bisexual uber-drivers.
Tell me about it.
My voice.(Ohh.)
Lupita Nyong'o (Delicious.)
The Courtney Act patented lubing technique.
You play the saxophone? I thought you said you were good at sex.
Alaska 5000
Capezio pantyhose without any runs. Feeling my oats when I'm out with Gia Gunn. Queens with old school names like Nicole Paige Brooks, and having Mathu Anderson beating your face, unh. Being tucked continuously for a month or being one of the American Apparel ad girls. Being, one of the American Apparel ad girls. YouknowwhatImean?
Na na nana.
I like Britney Spears circa 2007.
Ooh, I love it when it smells like your mom washes your clothes.
I like Ariana Grande so much, I wanna order an Ariana Venti.
I like turtles.
What?
I like people who are pretty in their own unique way... sooo, no.
I like your pussy.
I like Happy Cow.
I like when you drink that espresso and you have to poop immediately.
I like turtles.
We know it when you're creepin. You know our D is there. So please feel free to like us and buy these tops we wear. These here shirts.
I like it when you don't touch my hair. Really.
They're good shirts.
I like it when you don't touch my hair. No, I'm serious.
They're good shirts.
I'd prefer it if you don't touch my hair.
Sickening.
You please stay the fuck away from my hair.
We know it when you're creepin. You know our D is there.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa
So please feel free to like us,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
and buy these tops we wear. These here shirts.
Whoa, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
They're good shirts.
Oh, they're good shirts baby.
They're good shirts.
Yeah-h-h, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sickening.
That's all.
The lyrics to Willam's song "American Apparel Ad Girls" are a satirical take on the American Apparel company's advertising campaigns and the cultural phenomenon of "hipster" culture. The song opens with the line "Support for this track comes from, meaty tucks," which could be interpreted as a nod to the drag community and the art of tucking. The lyrics then launch into a series of seemingly unrelated phrases that touch on topics such as fashion, language, and pop culture.
The line "I like it when you don't touch my hair" is repeated throughout the song, which could be interpreted as a commentary on bodily autonomy or the fetishization of certain physical features. The chorus emphasizes the idea of buying the clothing that the American Apparel ad girls are wearing and suggests that the viewer's "D" (presumably meaning their genitalia) is present in the situation.
The song also includes references to pop culture figures such as Lupita Nyong'o, Ariana Grande, and Britney Spears. The line "Sickening" is a catchphrase popularized by Willam on the TV show RuPaul's Drag Race.
Line by Line Meaning
Support for this track comes from, meaty tucks.
This song is sponsored by Willam's merchandise - meaty tucks.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oo, oh, whoa
I like it when you don't touch my hair.
The vocalist prefers not to have their hair touched.
Chapstick and mascara.
Dawson's fifty load weekend. Anus.
Laser hair removal.
Willam, (ahem) perhaps?
This verse references cosmetics, sex, and grooming equipment. Willam is curious about whether their listener has invested in any of them.
We know it when you're creepin'. You know our D is there.
So please feel free to like us
and buy these tops we wear.
Listeners are encouraged to follow and support the artist and buy their merchandise.
These here shirts.
(Oh my gosh, I'm on that t-shirt!)
They're good shirts.
Fag swag.
They're good shirts.
(This merchandise is for sale.)
Sickening.
There is an emphasis on the quality of the artist's merchandise, which is for sale.
Bisexual uber-drivers.
Tell me about it.
References to sexuality and ride-sharing services are made.
My voice.(Ohh.)
Lupita Nyong'o (Delicious.)
The Courtney Act patented lubing technique.
These are non-sequitur lines.
You play the saxophone? I thought you said you were good at sex.
Alaska 5000
This line is a reference to a joke made by another drag queen, Alaska 5000.
Capezio pantyhose without any runs.
Feeling my oats when I'm out with Gia Gunn.
Queens with old school names like Nicole Paige Brooks, and having Mathu Anderson beating your face, unh.
Being tucked continuously for a month or being one of the American Apparel ad girls.
Being, one of the American Apparel ad girls.
YouknowwhatImean?
Na na nana.
This verse features many references to the drag queen lifestyle and the challenges that come with it.
I like Britney Spears circa 2007.
The vocalist enjoys a specific era of Britney Spears' music.
Ooh, I love it when it smells like your mom washes your clothes.
The vocalist seems to enjoy the smell of freshly-washed clothes.
I like Ariana Grande so much, I wanna order an Ariana Venti.
I like turtles.
The vocalist is a fan of Ariana Grande and turtles.
What?
I like people who are pretty in their own unique way... sooo, no.
The artist expresses that they do not place much value on physical attractiveness.
I like your pussy.
This line seems to be a reference to female genitalia.
I like Happy Cow.
I like when you drink that espresso and you have to poop immediately.
I like turtles.
The vocalist likes Happy Cow, and finds humor in the relation between espresso and bowel movements. They also like turtles.
We know it when you're creepin. You know our D is there.
So please feel free to like us and buy these tops we wear.
These here shirts.
Again, the listener is encouraged to follow and support the artist, and buy their merchandise.
I like it when you don't touch my hair. Really.
The vocalist reiterates their preference that their hair not be touched.
They're good shirts.
I'd prefer it if you don't touch my hair.
Sickening.
You please stay the fuck away from my hair.
More emphasis is placed on the quality of the artist's merchandise, and their desire not to have their hair touched.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa
So please feel free to like us,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
and buy these tops we wear. These here shirts.
Whoa, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
They're good shirts.
Oh, they're good shirts baby.
They're good shirts.
Yeah-h-h, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sickening.
The song concludes with a final push to promote the artist's merchandise, emphasizing again that they are good-quality shirts.
Contributed by Callie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Anthxnv
I was literally obsessed with this era... also, I had lots of good memories associated to the fall this was released in
@Littleathquakes
I underestimated their popularity. I figured I would just stroll in one day and buy a Willam t shirt. They were sold out!
@TheTaxburden
Yes! I definitely agree. Such a great time!
@Faisal-hi7ln
Same I swear to god
@ninaa683
Same!
@jamestea00
Same wow
@matthewgilmore200
Willam doesn't have many lines but goddam his voices leads the chorus
@all4mj
I like turtles
@Robert0Pirie
They're good shirts.
@RedJohnO22
That's a woman! xD