Will Young thrilled as Lexicon eyes number one: ‘It validates that it’s a really great pop album’

Will Young has made quite the comeback with his latest studio album, Lexicon, which is on course to land this week’s number one on the UK charts.

The 40-year-old is currently up against Mark Ronson and Two Door Cinema Club but the midweek chart placed Will at the top, meaning he’s likely to earn his fifth number one album on Friday.

You’d think Will would be just a little bit smug after making such a big splash back onto the pop scene after four years, but he’s just as humble as ever.

The Evergreen singer told Metro.co.uk: ‘What I love the most is that I think it’s a really great record and I’ve had good feedback from loads of different people who are properly listening to the album and I love that.

‘It’s really lovely but I suppose in a way does validate that I think it’s a really great pop album.’

The break from music was much needed as Will battled with his mental health and anxiety.

Getting back in the recording studio was like therapy for Will, who says his anxiety was mostly settled by working with a familiar team.

The Pop Idol winner explained: ‘I didn’t do much writing on this one deliberately because I didn’t feel that after 17 years I needed to prove to myself that I was a songwriter. I’ve done that.

‘It was great to hear all the other songs coming in, I must have listened to about 200 songs.

‘It was actually a lot easier because I only wrote songs with my writing partners so I knew that would be fine.’

He continued: ‘It was already all set up to be a lot more relaxed whereas in the past, I was like “you should be able to do this”. But now, I’m like just do what makes you happy. If that’s how it works for me then that’s brilliant.

‘I’m really lucky that I’m self-employed and able to live by the framework.

‘My anxiety during the recording and the writing that I did do during the record was pretty low actually.’

It’s been 17 years since Will won Pop Idol – yes, the show before X Factor was even a thing – and stole the nation’s hearts with the record-breaking ballad Evergreen.

There’s just one thing that keeps him coming back though.

‘My love of music is what keeps me going and what brought me back to pop, and there’s just an element of being a performer that you have to connect,’ he said.