Just seen this performance of Will Young on The Paul O'Grady Show, singing this version of his Best Selling Single Evergreen. (I believe it sold approximately One and a half million in a WEEK 8 years ago!)

He sang this live, with no backing track or band, just Dave Tench on the piano. If only more singers could sing live instead of miming, autotune etc. I love to hear just raw talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOLyr9qvpIc

I saw that. Awesome version

I'm not a fan but I heard him singing this earlier today (I was in another room so I wasn't even watching it) and I thought it was brilliant!

One of the better songs any winner on any of these shows ever had.

Thanks for the link. I watched this today and thought it was magnificent. Puts all the mimers in the shade.

I love his voice, and it seems to improve as he gets older. Thanks for this.

I really enjoyed his performance (and interview) on the POG Show ... I loved the way he changed Evergreen up a bit ... fantastic.

Yep, saw it. He's brill!

According to many people, singers who won or have done well on reality shows can't sing. I'm glad he (and others) show what a chippy and small-minded view that is.

I think what makes it stand out is that it's just the vocal and piano - after all the razmatazz, dancers, backing singers et al of X-Factor it's just a stripped back, powerful performance and it's such a refreshing change

He did a similar section on Tour with just Dave at the piano - a cover of the Buzzcocks and a cover of Tears for Fears. For me it was the standout bit from the whole concert

Hello

I think his voice his over trained- to the detriment of his tone.

I loved his tone- more then his technique.

And now it's mostly technique.

It was also shrill in places and had a kind of nails on a blackboard quality.

Also, this newly developed simpering personality- isn't cute.

It fits well with a girly girl but not a fully grown man.

i agree with a lot of that. If you listen back to his voice when he sang on Pop Idol it was so much stronger.

Simpering is a good word to describe his voice as well as his personality now - i'm sure he's a lovely guy and i used to really like him but he's lost it as far as his voice is concerned and i know he's gay and couldnt careless that he is but he's become overtly gay which i kinda find off putting.

Why does the man no longer use his lower register? I'd love an answer to that

You obviously didn't listen to his Paul O'Grady performance then?

No I never

But that's hardly relevant - what one performance using his lower register

I saw him on cheryl's show on Saturday and there were a couple of occasions when i thought his old voice was still there but off he went again singing in that high girly voice.

And his recorded voice on CD has no oomph whatsoever

If you want to pass judgement on someone, especially on a thread where the discussion is Will's performance on Paul O'Grady, it's always wise to be in possession of the facts, otherwise, you tend to look rather silly, and to that effect I'll ask again, did you really see Will singing on Cheryl Cole on Saturday, because if you really did, then you would know that Will sang the song with the required amount of both lower and upper register as the song dictates.

You don't have to like what he does Maisie, in fact you tell us often enough that you don't, but please, don't distort how Will actually sings to fit in with with your own interpretation.

I've loved all of his live performances that I've seen lately, so I'm going to bow out of this now because I don't want anything to spoil the pleasure I and a lot of other people got from Will's performance last night.

Err.. then watch it? It's at the top of the thread...? Might actually inform your opinion...

I think his chords are maturing nicely - he seems to have a greater range now. If you listen to hopes and Fears, he gets well down.. deep and down...

Why would I want to watch one performance that may happen to have been sung in his lower register?

He needs to sing like that all the time and please don't patronise me - Will Young fans seem to be masters at it.

How dare anyone criticise Mr Young eh? Get over yourselves and accept the man aint what he used to be.

Hopes and Fears leaves me cold

Well Maisie you are not the only one to have an opinion, if you critisise others, why cant they critisise you?. You cant have it both ways.

I guessed you were somone with an agenda, not just an opinion

We can't all like the same thing 'Maisie'. He doesn't 'need' to sing like anything all the time. It's just your opinion at the end of the day.

Gertrude, I agree with everything you say.

In an ideal worlds, I would like to see some sort of standard notification on TV to tell us if performances are sung live (by the people we can see on the screen) or not. This would soon show the mimers up for what they are.

Why does he need to sing like that all the time? It would make him very one dimensional and the beauty of Will's voice is that it can do low register very well and also upper register - gives him versaitlity imo. Although, it is only an opinon of course

In fact, in a song like Hopes and Fears you get both in the same song. And it's blumming marvelous live

I like Will Young, and i have to say for me he is the best reality tv singing contest winner. Simon rages about Leona, but for me it's Will Young.

I agree, Will is incredibly versatile and has an amazing vocal range. I like the tones in his voice, whether high or low register personally

I think Simon still probably kicks himself for not backing the winning horse in 2002. He could have made more money for himself He totally failed to see the potential in Will, and that must hurt someone who's built his life on supposedly being a talent spotter

The irritating thing is, if Cowell had backed Will when he went to America, instead of telling them over there that the 'wrong guy won', and that he would break Gareth in the USA, Will could have taken off there aswell. On the other hand, I'm glad Will wasn't forced down the Leona 'do what Madonna does' route of hype, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to forge ahead as a live performer through all the tours he did at the beginning.

your so right ...