Wils (singer)
Wils | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Willie Tay November 27, 1988 Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Citizenship | Singapore |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts, Communications and Business |
| Alma mater | Monash University |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Heartfelt, relatable emotional songs that uplift his fans |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
Willie Tay (born November 27, 1988), also known as Wils is a Singaporean singer, songwriter, and record producer. Wils specializes in soulful pop music and incorporates a unique style that is inspired by the multiple genres of music. Some of his popular songs are Back To Life, Hola, and Hurting.[1][2]
Wils is regarded as one of the genre's most prolific Singaporean artists. Wils has gained much popularity in the country and is the recipient of the Los Angeles Music Awards Best International Pop Artist Award. He also firmly advocates for rights in the LGBTQ+ community, especially underrepresented Gay Asian individuals.[3]
Wils music is available on his website as well as on all the music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Discogs, and YouTube. He has been featured in several media outlets such as Billboard, Pink News, Yahoo, HuffPost, MSN, Gay Times, South China Morning Post, Los Angles Blade, Out Magazine, New York Times Magazine, and others.[4][5]
Early life and education
Wils was born on November 27, 1988, in Singapore. His mother hails from Taiwan and his father from Singapore. Wils grew up with two elder sisters. From an early age, Wils was passionate about music and composed his own music, along with assisting many other artists with their musical pursuits in writing and composing their music. He was also a vocalist in a 3-man band in his formative years.
Later, Wils pursued his college education at Monash University. During his last year there, he wrote an essay to his tertiary education professors on why he should complete his last semester at the Hollywood Musicians Institute, a privately-owned, for-profit college of contemporary music in Los Angeles.
Career
Wils has been singing since he was a teenager but was discovered by a music agent in Retiro park on a holiday. He released his first music video Hola which became viral in Spain. Soon Wils started gaining popularity for his songs. Wils met Randy Jackson from American Idol when he was filming his music video "Back to life" in Downtown Los Angeles and became his Protege. Randy also produced and released the single with Wils - What are we waiting for, which topped at #2 on the Swiss dance charts. Wils took Randy Jackson to Taiwan for a press tour about bridging the East and West cultures.[6]
Wils has shown a promising career in music and has performed at several concerts and events including the National Stadium of Singapore at the SG50 concert. He was even featured on the cover of Men's Health magazine, New York Times, and other prolific media outlets.[7]
Wils came out of the closet to his record label, who dropped him for being Gay, losing over 300,000 followers on social media. His debut single, Open up babe, after its release, was featured on Billboard and was backed by thousands of LGBTQ+ members who supported him during this act of inequality.[8][9]
Discography
| S.No. | Name | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Up Babe | 2019 | Single |
| 2 | Empty | 2019 | Single |
| 3 | Weirdo | 2019 | Single |
| 4 | Don’t Leave Too Soon | 2020 | Album |
| 5 | This Is It | 2020 | Single |
| 6 | Basic Betch | 2020 | Single |
Awards
- Los Angeles music awards Best international pop artist of the year (Asia, Singapore)
Personal life
Wils is fluent in English and Chinese. He was a closeted gay man for over eight years. Due to the lack of awareness in the Eastern community regarding the LGBTQ+ community, Wils faced several adversities in accepting himself as a person. Having a strong voice in the community, Wils is dedicated to represent the underrepresented LGBTQ+ individuals and bring equality to this community in Asia.[10][11]
In the media
References
- ↑ "Singaporean singer's comeback after being dropped for coming out". South China Morning Post. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Dropped for coming out as gay, Singaporean singer Wils releases new album and wants his music to help others struggling with their identity". www.msn.com. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Singaporean pop star dropped by his record label for coming out as gay makes triumphant comeback". PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ Wong, Curtis M. (18 November 2019). "Singaporean Pop Star Wils Is Back After He Says Label Dropped Him For Being Gay". HuffPost. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Singapore Star Wils Comes Out as Gay With His Independent Debut 'Open Up Babe': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Singaporean singer Willie Tay thankful for support after coming out as gay in new music video". sg.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "The Singaporean Singer Who Combats Stereotypes and Prejudice Through His Music". T Singapore. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Singaporean singer's comeback after being dropped for coming out". South China Morning Post. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "Singaporean singer Wils comes out as gay in new music video". GAY TIMES. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ "The Singaporean Singer Who Combats Stereotypes and Prejudice Through His Music". T Singapore. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ↑ Clarendon, Dan (4 May 2019). "Singaporean singer Wils comes out in music video with his boyfriend as the leading man". Queerty. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
External links
- Wils on Instagram
- Wils's channel on YouTube