Lopez Blogs

William's second album established him as one of Britain's premiere purveyors of quality pop. He managed to turn a simple and elegant tune into one of the best selling singles of the year. Leave Right Now ticked all the right boxes - poignant lyrics, excellent restrained production that left William's silky white-soul vocal to be the focal point and a refrain that stayed in the mind of the masses. The video was actually quite a clever affair too and enhanced the mood of the song. And gosh darn it if William didn't look darn tooting in it! Though his twin obviously drew the short straw for talent and looks :( Poor bastard. The album that followed (Friday's Child) was a veritable triumph of gentle ballads and rousing pop tunes. My favourite William song ever was to be his next single. Your Game was presented in all it's Moulin Rouge-esque video glory and was a funk filled romp backed with a gospel choir and what can only be described as a powerful orchestral maneouvre of a backing track. It's all pretty amazing and it's easy to see why it lingered in the charts and on video channels for weeks after pop law says it should've dropped off. (Check out the gospel version - it's spinetinglydingling)The album had many a funky jazz tinged pop moment on it though - Dance The Night Away has a gorgeous guitar riff and a pulsating drum beat that powers the song through the killer chorus. And trumpets! Aces. Out of My Mind is William's disco tune for the album only with lyrics that will bring tears to the shimmering glitterballs around it. Ballads popped up in the form of 3rd single Friday's Child (William swims in the vid. And looks buff. But wears a swimming cap to cover up his self-raising hair that was having an off day) - it's not exactly a ballad but it is a laid back groove with some lovely arrangements to the music and was deservedly a single, though not obviously. if you get what I mean... Stronger was totally William doing Annie Lennox in Diva mode - a low key song with a big chorus that I would love to see Annie duet with him on. Two tracks that utterly should have been singles (why the album was abandoned after only three singles is beyond me...) were the gently romantic Love Is A Matter of Distance which leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy each time I hear it; and Love the One You're With - a cover yet, but it's practically discotastic and William holds a brilliant note change that wasn't bettered til Shayne Ward's version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. An incredible album (and for completists - check out William's version of Hey Ya by Outkast that he did for Live Lounge. Most excellent)...

Well, at some point next week I shall have to review the already sounds amazing William Young Let Go album. Prior to that of course Changes has become a gentle come back tune that has nudged ever so politely into British consciousness, rather than rammed its way, poppers wafting through the air like Switch It On. It is a lovely little tune and one that doesn't even seem to be the highpoint of the album. Which is good because in it, William's hair looks like the dogs bumoley from that ring worm commercial. It's the b-side to that song, and the album title track that has me salivating at the moment. Let It Go is an understated anthem where William lays his fears on the line for the world to hear. His voice is pleading, and the chorus has gentle strings, lilting piano and builds up very slightly as he learns to free himself from the fears. Inspiring, uplifting and utterly utterly perfect. Roll on Monday and the full album...