Willy Moon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Willy Moon |
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Moon in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William George Sinclair |
| Born | 2 June 1989 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Genres | Alternative, indie pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Island Luv Luv Luv Records Third Man |
| Associated acts | Natalia Kills, Cruel Youth |
William George Sinclair (born on June 2, 1989), known as Willy Moon, is a singer, songwriter, and producer from New Zealand. He became famous for his 2012 song "Yeah Yeah". This song was used in a popular Apple iPod TV advertisement in 2012. It also reached number 26 on the music charts in the UK. In March 2015, Willy Moon and his wife, Natalia Kills, were judges on The X Factor New Zealand. They were asked to leave the show because of some very harsh comments they made to a contestant.
Contents
Early Life and Moving Around
Willy Moon was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He decided to leave school when he was 16 years old. When he turned 18, he left New Zealand. He spent some time living in Berlin, Germany. After that, he moved to London, United Kingdom. Since 2014, Willy Moon has been living in New York City in the United States.
Music Journey
Starting Out: 2010-2013
In 2010, Willy Moon put his first song, "I Wanna Be Your Man," on a website called Myspace. People noticed his music there, and he soon got a record deal with Island Records. He released his first two songs through a label called Luv Luv Luv Records.
Willy Moon became known for his unique way of making music. Magazines like The Guardian and Q called him an artist to watch. He was also featured in GQ for his style and in Vogue for his music.
His music mixes old-school 1950s rock'n'roll sounds with modern production styles. It also uses techniques often found in hip-hop music. His song "Yeah Yeah" was played a lot on BBC Radio 1 in early 2012. He also performed live for BBC Radio 1 and on the TV show Later... with Jools Holland.
In July 2012, Willy Moon released two more songs, "Railroad Track" and "Bang Bang." These were released through Jack White's record label, Third Man Records. His song "Yeah Yeah" became very popular. It was used in Apple Inc's 2012 TV advertisements for their iPod devices. This included the 5th-generation Touch, 7th-generation Nano, and 4th-generation Shuffle.
"Yeah Yeah" was also used in a French advertisement for Sosh Orange. It was also part of the soundtrack for the Forza Horizon video game. During his 2012 and 2013 tour in the US, Willy Moon performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In April 2013, he released his first album, Here's Willy Moon. This album included his popular songs "Yeah Yeah," "Railroad Track," and "I Wanna Be Your Man." Later, in August 2013, the song "Railroad Track" was added to the Grand Theft Auto V video game soundtrack. It was also featured in a trailer for the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag video game.
Willy Moon's songs continue to be used in commercials. "Working for the Company" was in a "Mr. Selfridge" advertisement in 2014. "Yeah Yeah" was used in a global Nissan Altima car commercial. His cover of the song "Shakin'" was the background music for a Sky Atlantic TV commercial in the UK.
New Band: Cruel Youth
In early 2016, Willy Moon started a new band with his wife, Natalia Kills. The band is called Cruel Youth. Their first song, "Mr. Watson," came out in February on Soundcloud. Then, "Diamond Days" was released in April. Their third song, "... ," was released in early September. Their first collection of songs, called an EP, titled +30mg, came out on September 16, 2016.
Television Work
Judging on X Factor New Zealand
In 2015, Willy Moon was a judge and mentor on The X Factor New Zealand. He was on the show with his wife, Natalia Kills. Both Moon and Kills were removed from the show after the first live episode. This happened because they made very harsh and upsetting comments to a contestant named Joe Irvine. Willy Moon compared Joe Irvine to a movie character, and Natalia Kills said Joe was copying Willy Moon's style.
These comments caused a lot of anger on social media. Many people signed a petition asking for Moon and Kills to be fired. Reports said over 70,000 people signed the petition in just 24 hours. The show's sponsors, the company that owns the show, and the other judges also said they did not approve of what happened.
Personal Life
In May 2014, Willy Moon married singer Natalia Kills in New York City. In May 2021, the couple lost their apartment and all their belongings in a fire.
Images for kids
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Willy Moon in 2012
