Straight Talk With Years & Years' Olly Alexander, the U.K.'s New Gay Pop Star
Like many young people, Olly Alexander had dreams of stardom from an early age.
“I grew up loving artists like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears — artists who seemed to live this fantasy lifestyle, and I remember always wanting to join these fantasy people in that world,” he says, slightly embarrassed. “But as I got older I began to think, Maybe I really could be a singer, or musician.”
Today, the 25-year-old Yorkshire native is living that dream together with his bandmates, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen, as the synth-pop trio Years & Years. It’s a reality that began taking shape when the group’s breakout hit, “King,” — an infectious track that perfectly captures the feeling of one wanting to escape the confines of a possessive love — shot to No. 1 in the U.K. and cracked the coveted Billboard U.S. Mainstream Top 40 this spring. The track’s music video, which has racked up more than 67 million plays on YouTube, is a testament to the power of the spell this British band has cast, and it shows no sign of fading anytime soon.
The release of their debut album in July, Communion, has continued to propel the group’s rising star; topping charts around the globe including Billboard’s U.S. Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
The haters trynna make it shade lmao. He meant maybe his dreams could actually come true and be famous like Britney & Spice Girls lol. Plus I'm so happy he said this because I love him and somehow he reminds me of her
