After 20 years in the game, Pop Idol winner Will Young, 43, released his Greatest Hits album on May 27. The Kelly Clarkson of his season, the singer opened up and gave this thoughts on if the music industry has changed towards openly gay musical acts, then and now.
He seems to have suffered the same fate as Neil Patrick Harris and Lance Bass, who were the victims of being outed by the tabloids.
Here’s what he said:
I wasn’t confused by it, but I suppose my point was deliberately to not make a point about it. I thought that would be the most powerful thing to do in a way, turning it back on people and going: “What’s the big deal?” I’m pleased I did that. I don’t think it was easy, now I look back on it. I did get a lot of abuse. I’m not quite sure how I managed to get through that, really, but I suppose all gay people at that time were just used to getting abuse so it wasn’t like it was out of the blue. It’s only now looking back on it, because times have changed, that I think: “God, how awful for so many of us that we had to go through that.” And it makes me even more proud to be gay and proud of my community.
On If The Industry Has Changed When It Comes to Supporting Queer Artists:
I have to remind myself – I can’t believe we’ve gotten to this day where people don’t care. People will have different stories I’m sure, but I hope that no one has to go through what people like myself had to go through. Also let’s not forget other complete icons who I think are often forgotten. People like Andy Bell, Jimmy Somerville. These people are heroes, and I don’t think they’re spoken about enough. People think about George Michael, Boy George, and that’s brilliant, but actually people like Jimmy and Andy, they were flying the flag and they didn’t give a shit. I can’t imagine what that was like. They should be knighted.
While it’s great that the industry has become more welcoming when it comes to supporting queer pop acts, we still have a long way to go when it comes to supporting queer artists in hip hop.
Also kudos to Will for giving Andy Bell and Jimmy Sommerville their flowers, because they don’t get enough credit for being unapologetically queer at a time when so many artists hid their sexuality.
20 Years: The Greatest Hits is out now.
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