POPSTAR Will Young is performing in York next year on a tour to mark his 20-year career.

His ‘20 Years Tour’, is coming to York Barbican on Thursday, October 13, 2022, and will include a section in which the audience can request any of his 120 songs to be performed.

In August of this year, he released his eighth studio album, ‘Crying On The Bathroom Floor’, which reached number three in the UK album chart, a cover album of the female artists who inspire him to break barriers.

Will said: “I didn’t want to do an obvious album cover – I’m a feminist, and I want to create a left-field, pop album to make for an interesting record of pop songs - each one moves me, and the songs are heavily linked to who the artist is - I wanted to work with Richard X again and create a true pop record.”

He has covered an eclectic range of artists, from Solange, and Robyn, to Sky Ferreira and London Grammar.

“I picked these artists because I genuinely celebrate them - they’re strong women who’ve made their own choices, buck the trend and gone their own way, and that’s what I love about them - people used to say Robyn was the next Britney Spears," he said.

“ For the tour, I’m most excited about the section where the audience can request any of my 120 songs including b-sides and film songs – it will be fun to give back to the fans.”

He said he has sought to break moulds through his music, playing the character of a male stripper in the music video for ‘All The Songs’ as part of his Lexicon album in 2019, a sort of role that is usually played by women.

“I feel women are used to sexualising themselves whether they want to and are empowered by that or not.

“I thought it would be interesting to see how I would feel placing myself in women’s shoes and wondering if I would get bad body image in doing so, and how it would be received– I think women can have a harder time in pop due to the fixation on women’s looks.”

He has come a long way since he was the first winner of TV talent contest, Pop Idol, in 2002, going onto achieve two BRIT Awards in 2003 and 2005, four number one and two number two chart-topping albums, and an Olivier nomination for Best Actor in 2013 for his part in the musical ‘Cabaret’.

His autobiography, ‘How To Be a Gay Man’ was released in 2020.

“Highlights of my career include filming ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’ with Judi Dench in 2005, my Echoes album, Cabaret, and singing with James Brown.

He said: “I’m the same person in since Pop Idol, I always knew what I wanted, and I am now more confident and have accrued more wisdom.

“I’ve learned to share your work with few as you are working on it, listen to your instincts - and have fun.”

Tour tickets for York Barbican can be purchased via Ticketmaster.