Emily Williams
Emily Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 8, 1984 South Auckland, New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, songwriter |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Runner-up on Australian Idol (2005), member of Young Divas |
Emily Williams (born 8 October 1984) is an Australian vocalist and songwriter originally from New Zealand. She rose to national attention in 2005 as the runner-up on the third installment of Australian Idol. After the competition, Williams secured a recording deal with Sony BMG Australia and found success as a member of the Australian girl ensemble Young Divas. The group produced two albums reaching the top ten, namely Young Divas (2006) and New Attitude (2007), alongside three singles that entered the top fifteen charts, including their popular rendition of "This Time I Know It's for Real". Once Young Divas disbanded in 2008 and her contract with Sony BMG concluded, Williams pursued an independent solo career. She released her first solo single, "Spellbound," in 2010, followed by her debut album titled Uncovered in 2012.
Early life
Born on 8 October 1984 in South Auckland, New Zealand, Emily Williams comes from a Fiji–Samoan heritage. She is the middle child among siblings, with an elder sister, Lavina Williams, who participated in Australian Idol during 2006, and a younger brother, J.Williams, who is active as a singer and dancer in New Zealand. Her upbringing included strong influences from her father, who stressed commitment to both faith and music. Before auditioning for Idol, Williams was employed as a forklift operator in Inala, Queensland.
2005: Australian Idol
In 2005, Williams took part in the third season of Australian Idol, impressing judge Mark Holden enough to receive three touchdowns. At one point, betting agency Centrebet listed her as the favorite to win with odds of $1.36; however, Kate DeAraugo was ultimately declared the winner.
2006–08: Young Divas
In early 2006, Williams secured a recording deal with Sony BMG Australia, with plans for a debut album that ultimately did not materialize. She relocated to Melbourne to work alongside both domestic and international songwriters.
Subsequently, Sony BMG assembled the girl group Young Divas, comprising Williams, Paulini, Ricki-Lee Coulter, and Kate DeAraugo, aimed at boosting their solo careers through a nationwide tour. Their initial single, a rendition of Donna Summer's "This Time I Know It's For Real," reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and earned platinum certification for shipping 70,000 copies. The next release, "Happenin' All Over Again," attained number nine on the charts and received gold certification for 35,000 shipments.
The Young Divas' self-titled album was released on 14 November 2006, debuting at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and achieving double platinum status with 140,000 units shipped. Their third single, "Searchin'," peaked at number 40.
In May 2007, Williams participated in New Zealand's Pop's Ultimate Star, finishing in fourth place. Later that year, Jessica Mauboy replaced Coulter in the group. On 26 November 2007, the Young Divas released their second album, New Attitude, which entered the charts at number ten and was certified gold. The album's lead single, "Turn Me Loose," peaked at number 15.
By August 2008, Paulini and Mauboy departed from Young Divas to focus on their solo endeavors, leaving Williams and DeAraugo as the remaining members. Both eventually pursued individual projects as well, resulting in the group's dissolution and the conclusion of Williams' contract with Sony BMG.
2009–present: Solo career
In 2010, Williams took on the role of reading ambassador for The Pyjama Foundation to promote children's literacy. On 1 November 2010, she independently launched her debut solo single "Spellbound," which she promoted through a live appearance on The Morning Show as well as performances in clubs across Brisbane and Sydney. The accompanying music video premiered on YouTube on 4 November 2010. Later that year in December, she received a nomination for "Australian Female Artist of the Year" at the PopRepublic.tv IT List Awards. Her follow-up single, "You're Mine," was released on 14 February 2011, followed by the ballad "Never Alone" on 1 March 2011; proceeds from the latter supported the New Zealand Red Cross following the Christchurch earthquake.
Williams independently released her debut solo album Uncovered on 10 February 2012. In June of that year, she collaborated with dance producer The Popstar on the single "Spotlight," which was also featured on her album. April 2013 saw the release of her fourth lead single "Get It." That same year, she appeared on British rapper Leeroy Reed’s track "Can't Get Enough," earning her a second nomination from PopRepublic.tv for "Favourite Australian Female Artist." In January 2014, Williams featured alongside UK group The Risk on Geordie Shore personality Gaz Beadle’s debut single "Party Like a Rockstar (Up Your Game)."
In July 2015, Williams unveiled her fifth lead single "The Way It Is," which entered the AIR 100% Independent Singles Chart at number seven. This was followed by her sixth lead single "Get Your Life" in October 2016, garnering another nomination from PopRepublic.tv.
Williams made her theatrical musical debut in 2017 as the alternate lead portraying Rachel Marron in the Australian production of The Bodyguard, sharing performances with Paulini. Additionally, she appeared briefly in the Australian horror film Boar released that same year.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, Williams collaborated with international DJs Ricci-G and Josh Goodwill to release "Ride with Me," followed by "All I Need" with Kisch under Love and Other Records UK.
In 2022, Williams headlined the Synthony 2022/23 tour throughout Australia and launched her Woman of Colour solo tour featuring an eclectic selection of songs.
In 2023, producers Michael Harrison and David Ian announced that Williams would assume the role of Rachel Marron for the UK tour of The Bodyguard, marking her as the first woman of Polynesian heritage to headline a musical production in the UK. That September, she was appointed Global Ambassador for Women of Colour Australia. In October 2023, Williams released "What Am I Gonna Do" alongside DJ John Course, which reached number eight on the ARIA Club Charts.
Personal life
Williams shares a daughter with Richie Lio. The pair ended their relationship in 2007.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Uncovered |
|
| Thirty Something |
|
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Highest chart position | Associated album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Indie | |||
| "Spellbound" | 2010 | — | Uncovered |
| "You're Mine" | 2011 | — | |
| "Never Alone" | — | — | |
| "Get It" | 2013 | — | Uncovered |
| "The Way It Is" | 2015 | 7 | — |
| "Get Your Life" | 2016 | — | |
| A dash ("—") indicates the single did not enter the charts. | |||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Spotlight" (The Popstar featuring Emily Williams) |
2012 | Uncovered |
| "Can't Get Enough" (Leeroy featuring Emily Williams) |
2013 | — |
| "Party Like a Rockstar (Up Your Game)" (Gaz & Olabean featuring The Risk and Emily Williams) |
2014 | — |
Album appearances
| Track title | Year released | Album name |
|---|---|---|
| "Buses and Trains" | 2005 | Australian Idol 3: The Final 13 |
| "Ready" | ||
| "I Will Always Love You" | 2006 | Young Divas |
Music videos
| Title | Year of release | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Spellbound" | 2010 | |
| "Get It" | 2013 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award event | Nominee(s) | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2006 | Young Divas | Favourite Group | Template:Nom |
| "This Time I Know It's for Real" performed by Young Divas | Favourite Song | Template:Won | ||
| 2010 | PopRepublic.tv Awards | Emily Williams | Favourite Australian Female Artist | Template:Nom |
| 2013 | Emily Williams | Favourite Australian Female Artist | Template:Nom | |
| 2016 | Emily Williams | Favourite Australian Female Artist | Template:Nom |