2012, Tartu, a younger me struggling with depression and an aching heart. Discovering Will Young’s album Echoes. You know the feeling when a song just seems like it’s written about you and for you? Well, Echoes was a whole album about my feelings at that time. I too was Losing Myself, just wanting a lover, or at least for that one person that unknowingly hurt me so much to just Lie Next to Me.
It was a tough time, and also the time I fell in love with the music of Will Young. Years later I was happy to discover the wonderful podcast Homo Sapiens, that Will did with his friend Christopher Sweeney (listen to it!). And so of course I wanted to read Will’s book – To be a Gay Man – on gay shame and coming to terms with his sexuality.
It was a quick read that already felt familiar, because of some stories from the podcast. I liked it – it was honest, sometimes sad, but also with some funny anecdotes. I love memoirs and autobiographies in general. Getting to know someone’s life and struggles that you often don’t see from the outside, or at least don’t know the circumstances. And though I’m, well, not a gay man, I could relate to some of the struggles. This is one of the wonderful things you find out from memoirs – we are all so very different with very different lives, but the underlying emotions, self-doubts and questions are often similar. And it is especially important to share the stories that are harder to tell. They will certainly help those that are also struggling.
So thank you, Will, for sharing 🙂
And you, my dear blog reader, go listen to some of WIll’s music for starters.
And by the way, I have absolutely loved all of Will’s albums following Echoes.
And the asshole responsible for an album full of feelings in me? He managed to do it again in 2021, right on time for Will’s latest album Crying on the Bathroom Floor. If Echoes is not your cup of tea, give this a try 😉