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 United Kingdom. In 2015, Willy Moon and his wife, Natalia Kills, were judges on The X Factor New Zealand. They were later removed from the show because of some very harsh comments they made to a contestant.
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Early life and beginnings
Willy Moon was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He decided to leave school when he was 16 years old. At 18, he left New Zealand to explore the world. He spent some time living in Berlin before moving to London, United Kingdom. Since 2014, Willy Moon has been living in New York City.
Music career highlights
Starting out (2010–2013)
Willy Moon began his music journey in 2010. He released his first song, "I Wanna Be Your Man", on a website called Myspace. This song helped him get noticed and led to a record deal with Island Records. He released his first two singles through Luv Luv Luv Records.
People started talking about his unique music style. Magazines like The Guardian and Q called him an artist to watch. His music was described as a cool mix of 1950s rock and roll sounds with modern hip-hop production.
His song "Yeah Yeah" became very popular. It was played a lot on BBC Radio 1 in early 2012. Willy Moon and his band also performed live on BBC Radio 1 and on the TV show Later... with Jools Holland.
In July 2012, he released more songs, "Railroad Track" and "Bang Bang". These were released through Jack White's record label, Third Man Records.
"Yeah Yeah" in ads and games
Willy Moon's song "Yeah Yeah" became very famous when Apple Inc used it in their 2012 TV advertisement for the iPod. It was also featured in a French advertisement for Sosh Orange. Gamers might recognize "Yeah Yeah" from the Forza Horizon video game soundtrack.
During his 2012 and 2013 tour in the United States, Willy Moon performed on the TV show 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".
His music continued to be used in other places. 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 video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Other songs like "Working for the Company" and his cover of "Shakin" were used in TV commercials.
Cruel Youth (2016–present)
In early 2016, Willy Moon started a new band with his wife, Natalia Kills. The band is called Cruel Youth. They released their first song, "Mr. Watson", in February. Then came "Diamond Days" in April. Their third song, "Hatefuck", was released in September, along with their first collection of songs, called an EP, titled +30mg.
Television appearance
X Factor New Zealand (2015)
In 2015, Willy Moon and his wife, Natalia Kills, were judges and mentors on The X Factor New Zealand. However, they 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 to a movie character, and Natalia Kills accused Joe of copying Willy Moon's style.
Many people were upset by their comments. A petition was started to have them removed from the show, and it quickly received over 70,000 signatures. The show's sponsors, owners, and even the other judges spoke out against the incident.
Personal life
Willy Moon married singer Natalia Kills in May 2014 in New York City. In May 2021, the couple faced a difficult time when they lost their apartment and all their belongings in a fire.
