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.
Trouble
Willam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To fight the troubled shakes in my head
And my heart keeps its hurting
Of leaving me behind
While the worry she's bride is stalling my mind
The trouble I've found
Is not only just in me
Somewhere for no one else to see
Pull yourself up off the ground
Because we all have our things
And you know that I always,
Always listen when you speak
To the trouble in me
She has her dreams
In black across her arms
She says that she's off track
And they remind her of just how far
And she makes me think
That we don't know who we are
You just found someone to hold you from falling apart
The trouble I've found
Is not only just in me
But we've all got it somehow
Somewhere for no one else to see
Pull yourself up off the ground
Because we all have our things
And you know that I always,
Always listen when you speak
To the trouble in me
And you can't turn it off
It's right there in your eyes
And my room got so small
How did you get me right?
And I can be so wrong,
So wrong, now
The trouble I've found
Is not only just in me
But we've all got it somehow
Somewhere for no one else to see
Pull yourself up off the ground
Because we all have our things
And you know that I always,
Always listen when you speak
To the trouble in me
In "Trouble," Willam uses vivid imagery to express the difficulties of navigating a complicated relationship. The person he is with, referred to as "she," seems to be his source of comfort, but also his source of anxiety. He feels as though he's stumbling out of his own skin, unable to control the "troubled shakes" in his head. Despite this, he is still deeply hurting from feelings of abandonment and the fact that he's being left behind, while his own worries are making his mind race. He acknowledges, however, that "we've all got it somehow, somewhere for no one else to see," understanding that everyone struggles in their own way. Willam encourages his partner to pull herself up from the ground, an indication that he is a supportive figure who is there to listen, no matter how deep her own personal struggles may be.
The second verse shows us a little more about the partner Willam is speaking to. She seems to be dealing with her own demons, often expressed through her tattoos, which she refers to as "dreams." She sees herself as "off track" and almost lost, which makes Willam feel like they both don't really know who they are. The phrase "you just found someone to hold you from falling apart" is especially poignant, indicating that Willam wants to be a steady presence in his partner's life. However, he also acknowledges that he can be wrong, just like anyone else, and that the present situation may never be fully resolved.
Overall, "Trouble" is a song about the complexities of relationships and how important it is to be there for one another, even when things get tough. Willam's lyrics are incredibly evocative, painting a picture of two people trying to support each other through a difficult time.
Line by Line Meaning
She makes me stumble, out of this skin
Her presence and influence causes me to lose my bearings and feel vulnerable and exposed
To fight the troubled shakes in my head
I struggle to overcome my inner demons and anxieties
And my heart keeps its hurting
Despite my efforts, the pain and sadness that I feel persists
Of leaving me behind
I feel abandoned and forgotten by those who were once close to me
While the worry she's bride is stalling my mind
My concerns about her well-being and happiness are overwhelming and distracting me
The trouble I've found
I have come to realize that my struggles and issues are not unique to me, but shared by many
Is not only just in me
I cannot blame myself entirely for my problems, as they are often a product of external factors and circumstances
But we've all got it somehow,
Everyone has their own challenges and difficulties, even if they are not apparent on the surface
Somewhere for no one else to see
Many people suffer in silence and keep their pain hidden from others
Pull yourself up off the ground
It is important to take responsibility for one's own well-being and strive to improve one's situation
Because we all have our things
We all have our own personal struggles and obstacles to overcome in life
And you know that I always,
I am always here to support and listen to you, without judgment or criticism
Always listen when you speak
I value your thoughts and feelings and want to help you in any way I can
She has her dreams
She has her own aspirations and ambitions, despite the challenges she faces
In black across her arms
She carries her hopes and dreams with her, like a symbol of who she wants to be
She says that she's off track
She feels lost and directionless, like she is straying from her path
And they remind her of just how far
Her dreams also serve as a reminder of the distance she still needs to travel to achieve them
And she makes me think
Her struggles and determination inspire me to reflect on my own life and goals
That we don't know who we are
We are constantly evolving and changing, and it is difficult to truly know ourselves or where we are headed
You just found someone to hold you from falling apart
I am here for her, to offer support and stability in her times of need
And you can't turn it off
The pain and struggles we face are not easily dismissed or ignored
It's right there in your eyes
Our emotions and inner turmoil can be visible to others, despite our attempts to hide them
And my room got so small
The weight of our problems can feel suffocating and overwhelming, even in seemingly safe and familiar spaces
How did you get me right?
How did you know exactly what I needed, when I couldn't even express it myself?
And I can be so wrong,
I am not infallible, and I may struggle with my own biases and shortcomings
So wrong, now
I am currently facing challenges and obstacles that I may not have anticipated or prepared for
Writer(s): William Waring, Guy Rupert Berryman, Danny Harris, Christopher Anthony John Martin, Kyle Brinson, Gerard William Kenny, Drey Shepperd, Kurt Walker, William Champion, Stephen Rolfe Breck, Jonathan Mark Buckland Copyright: Arlon Music Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Mgb Ltd., Protoons Inc.
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Torkavian Tales
It's fun to look back and see how much your style has evolved over the years, Miss, Willam.
willam belli
Dude this writer wrote most of Ru's songs. they're awesome and I like this. WILLAM
Thomas George
Got to give here credit. Great beat, great lyrics, great group of guys.
Rune
Best song ever to come from a RPDR queen!
Skyler McHawthon
YAS I FINALLY FOUND THIS! THEY PLAYED THIS AT MY PROM! All the teachers danced to it lol
Skyler McHawthon
Well for a minute they did then we danced to t
Greg R
Such an awesome song, love the beat and WIllam you are just so amazing at what you do. I would love to use this song for my first performance as a newcomer queen.
Ashley Arachne
I love you Willam!! I'm such a big fan!! I love your music especially this song, I listen to it while getting ready all the time <3
Danny Seal
Willam I'm a huge fan, and I think you're an amazing performer! I hope to be able to catch some of your shows live (living on the east coast does not help though). Continued success!!
Aeryn Borchers
Willam's eye color is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!