UK Download of the Day: "Changes" by Will Young

Will Young is a testament to the strength and longevity a reality competition winner/contestant can have if its done right.

For the Americans who don't know him, Will Young was the winner of the UK's Pop Idol, the show that inspired American Idol (diehard AI fans will remember him appearing on Season 1). He's released three albums in the UK, all of which have gone multi-platinum. He's sold 3 million albums (in US standards, that's 10 million) there, making him pretty much a pop star.

Will has released the video for his new single "Changes", from the upcoming album Let It Go.The video was nice and all, but what really impressed me was the song itself. When you consider his contemporaries Justin Timberlake and Usher, you begin to wonder if Will is a bit mature than them. Its a fantastic ballad, following the British music pattern of pulling from the past and updating it. I hear some soul influences, but it still clearly pop record. Even with some dramatic flourishes in the chorus, it's still a very cool, mellow track. It's very reminiscent of early 2000's Robbie Williams.

Will delivers a pitch-perfect vocal here, but that's to be expected. He sounded pitch-perfect on "Evergreen" (his coronation single). The difference is that song was a bit predictable and schmaltzy (even by my standards). "Changes" is far more creative and interesting of a song; very unexpected when you look at the pop landscape now. He's come a long way since being crowned the UK's idol.

Chances are, he won't be coming over to the US, so we'll just have to settle for YouTube. For those living across the pond, you can purchase it online or in the shops on the 22nd of September (that's the European date format, Americans). I definitely recommend doing so.

Rating: 9/10