If it is strange to think that Will Young began his pop journey as the first and quite the most atypical winner of the now global Pop Idol phenomenon, then keep in mind that Will was the one who stood up to Simon Cowell, one fateful Saturday evening. “What I love about that moment is that it was someone standing up for what they wanted. I didn’t realise how strongly I wanted that career until that moment. I don’t even know where it came from. What was odd about that moment was that it was a side of me that never would have come out otherwise. It was new to me.”

Just recently, sifting through the iridescent pop gems that make up his back catalogue to assemble them together for this very hits compilation, and at the stately pop age of 30, Will has had a little Eureka moment. He listened to Evergreen again, the single that signposted his commercial fortunes on the back of Pop Idol. It was a song that he had deliberately stopped playing live on tour many years ago, and not heard in as long, on purpose, despite being the 12th best selling single of all time in the UK and the fastest-selling ever by a new artist.

Continues…