Will Young • Love Revolution

When I heard that Will Young was back in the studio, I was very happy, to say the least. I have been a fan of the singer since I first saw his music videos on YouTube following his win of the very first 'Pop Idol' in 2002. His music appealed to me right away, so I became a fan. With '85% Proof' coming out in May, I couldn't wait to get a sneak peek.

Well, my prayers have been answered, for the official audio was posted to Will's YouTube page. The first single, "Love Revolution", is online and I just love it. From the opening chords, you hear the lush retro sound, like some soulful song by Lulu or Dusty Springfield is about to come on the radio. Will's voice is bold, with a fantastic fullness that stands out over the blare of the horns. This is the official audio for Will Young's "Love Revolution".

"Love Revolution" is the first single off the upcoming release, '85% Proof'. If you enjoyed that as much as I did, you need to get in line behind me and hope it is made available in the United States. To learn more about Will Young, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Idol Hands Sure Can Snap

Leona Lewis, Will Young, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Anthony Callea.

On this fine Sunday morning, I thought I would pull some great swing music from unexpected sources. Namely, the Idol programs from around the world. Well, there are representatives from American Idol, the UK's Pop Idol, Australian Idol, and the UK's X Factor. I picked some of my favorites from these series, at least the ones I could find clips on YouTube that might apply. And I could not think of a better way to start this post than with Anthony Callea swinging on Route 66. The song was written by Bobby Troupe, husband of torch singer Julie London. It was first made popular by the great Nat King Cole, but Anthony does an amazing job with it.



In the third season of the UK hit show X Factor, Simon Cowell and company introduced us to a beautiful young lady whose talent was soon heard 'round the world. After winning the season, Leona Lewis was soon releasing Bleeding Love, which topped the charts and earned Lewis fans world-wide. While on the show, she made it through Big Band week singing Summertime, the classic song by George Gershwin.



In late 2001, we were introduced to the series that started it all. Pop Idol crowned the first winner in February 2002. Will Young crooned his way into the hearts of the British public. And, I might add, they had good taste, for Will is so very talented. And he did a lovely version of We Are In Love, a song written and performed by Harry Connick, Jr, for his 1990 album of the same name.



In the second season of American Idol, we were introduced to North Carolina native Clay Aiken. He charmed the fans enough to stay out of the bottom three for the entire season, and finished in second behind winner and good friend Ruben Studdard. When it came time to perform as part of the Final Three, he did an incredible version of Mack The Knife, the famous song by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht from their masterpiece, The Threepenny Opera.



The first season of American Idol ran during the summer of 2002, and in September,
winner Kelly Clarkson was crowned. Kelly waded through the musical waters with poise and panache, like when she blew everyone away with Stuff Like That There, the song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, originally sung by Betty Hutton in the 40s. Kelly took the song and made it her own.



Hope the music got you into the 'swing' of this fine Sunday!

New Music - Will Young

In 2002, Will Young was crowned the first Pop Idol, making him the very first of a world-wide franchise. Will, a handsome 23-year-old, came out of the gate with a double-platinum release, From Now On. Shortly after winning, he came out as an out and proud gay man. His music has remained in the UK and Europe, not making it to the US. Through 2008, he released four studio albums, all of which earned platinum status. This past November, he released a greatest hits album, with twelve hits and two new songs. The first single is Hopes & Fears, with an incredibly interesting [and funny] video.



As I said, his first album, From Now On, went double-platinum in 2002 on the heels of his Pop Idol victory. The fifth and final single released was You and I, a power ballad with an R & B tilt on the pop roots.



Late 2003 saw the release of Friday's Child, the second album which proved Will wasn't effected by the sophomore jinx. The album went on to quadruple-platinum status, and number 1 on the UK album charts. It opened with the single Leave Right Now, which went #1 in the UK, and had a fascinating video that was shot in a single take. But I loved the second single, Your Game, which went #2 on the UK charts.



The 2005 release Keep On was another success, earning triple platinum sales in the UK. The second single released was Switch It On. The video is an homage to Top Gun, complete with shirtless buff men and a pornstache.



Will's fourth album was Let It Go, the platinum selling effort lead with the single Changes. The album hit #2 on the album charts, and the song went to #10.



Over the past 8 years, Young has proved to enjoy putting out a variety of styles, and some interesting videos. You can find out more about him on his official website here. I certainly enjoy his slightly quirky style. And it is nice to see an out singer having such strong success.