Two decades after he was crowned the first EVER winner of ITV’s hit reality singing competition Pop Idol, acclaimed British recording artist Will Young returns with ‘Light It Up’, his first album of original music in five years.
Made up of 10 life-affirming, thought-provoking tracks – including the singles ‘Falling Deep’ and ‘Midnight’ – the record finds Young in a place of relative peace artistically, as he seeks to find truth in the opus of pop, to produce one of the most cohesive sounding albums of his career thus far.
Having teamed up with renowned Scandinavian hitmakers PhD (Kylie Minogue, Little Mix), and reunited with Andy Cato of Groove Armada, as well as long-term writing partners Jim and Mima Elliott (who worked on 2011’s ‘Echoes’), the record successfully manages to capture the musical richness of 70s and 80s soulful pop, but with a fresh, modern day twist.
With a desire to create songs that would provide listeners with a either a sense of escapism or reflection, tracks featured on the LP undoubtably speak to those who find themselves navigating both the joys and complexities of life in their 40s, with Will pulling from a treasure trove of personal memories and experiences to to share his story in the most honest, and profound way.
Commenting on his aspirations for the album, Young says via a press release: “I really hope this is the go-to pop album for a dance, for a cry and for a celebration. I know I do all three with it. It is just so exciting to produce a complete pop album. Crafting pop music can be so fun and the challenge to sing those songs is something I’ve relished.”
Download / stream ‘Light It Up’ here