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Nathaniel Willemse

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Nathaniel Willemse
Born
Nathaniel Willemse

(1985-07-14) July 14, 1985 (age 41)
South Africa
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active2006–present
Known forContestant on The X Factor Australia (season 4)

Nathaniel Willemse (born 14 July 1985), professionally known as Nathaniel, is a singer and songwriter originally from South Africa who established his music career in Australia. He first gained widespread attention as the eighth contestant to be eliminated during the fourth season of The X Factor Australia. In 2013, he secured a recording contract with DNA Songs under the umbrella of Sony Music Australia and released the single "You", which peaked at number four on the ARIA Singles Chart.

Early life

Willemse was born in South Africa and relocated to Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, when he was six years old. He completed his secondary education at Karingal Park Secondary College, now known as McClelland College. In 2006, he auditioned for the fourth season of Australian Idol, advancing to the top 24 before being eliminated. On 22 January 2008, he independently released his debut single "Vertigo" through Mummy's Boy Records on iTunes, featuring two additional tracks co-written by him: "Shall Be Told" and "Home". Later, on 29 October 2011, Willemse launched his first extended play, titled EP, along with his second single "You Are the One". Before participating in The X Factor Australia in 2012, he worked professionally as a vocal coach and performed as a wedding singer.

2012: The X Factor Australia

In 2012, Willemse auditioned for the fourth season of The X Factor Australia, performing John Mayer’s "Gravity". During the super bootcamp stage, he delivered renditions of The Black Eyed Peas’ "I Gotta Feeling" and James Morrison’s "You Give Me Something". He successfully reached the home visits round within the Over 25s category. For his initial live show appearance on 17 September 2012, he sang Beyoncé’s "Love on Top", receiving acclaim from all four judges, including Mel B and Ronan Keating. He progressed to the top six contestants; his cover of Coldplay’s "The Scientist" entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number 75. In week seven, his interpretation of Daniel Merriweather’s "Red" charted at number 91 on ARIA. After landing in the bottom two alongside Samantha Jade, Willemse performed Marvin Gaye’s "Sexual Healing" during the final showdown. Despite backing from judges Guy Sebastian and Ronan Keating, he was eliminated following a deadlock resulting from receiving fewer viewer votes.

Performances on The X Factor

denotes appearance on the ARIA Singles Chart.
 indicates placement in the bottom two.
 marks elimination.

2013–2016: Yours

In January 2013, Willemse took part in the X Factor Live Tour, performing alongside Samantha Jade, The Collective, Bella Ferraro, Shiane Hawke, and Jason Owen across several major Australian cities. On 6 May 2013, he revealed that he had signed with Sony Music Australia, becoming the inaugural artist to join DNA Songs' imprint under Sony. His first single released through Sony, "You," came out on 27 September 2013, reaching number four on the ARIA Singles Chart and earning double Platinum certification for sales exceeding 140,000 copies; it also climbed to number 16 in New Zealand.

Later that year, in November 2013, Willemse was a supporting act for Jessica Mauboy during her To the End of the Earth Tour. On 24 January 2014, he participated in a collaborative rendition of "I Am Australian" with well-known Australian musicians to mark Australia Day; this release peaked at number 51 on the ARIA charts. His subsequent single, "You're Beautiful", launched in February 2014, entered the ARIA chart at number 14. The single "Live Louder", released in September 2014, matched his earlier success by reaching number four and achieved Platinum status.

In September 2014, Willemse performed "Live Louder" live on The X Factor and later appeared at Australia's first-ever Soulfest festival in October. The following month, he supported Mariah Carey during her Australian tour dates. December saw him join fellow artists to record a charity cover of "This Woman's Work" aimed at raising funds for children affected by Sanfilippo syndrome; this track reached number 79 on the ARIA charts.

His debut studio album, Yours, was officially released on 23 October 2015. On 8 December of the same year, he unveiled a cover of Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie," which was featured in promotional material for Australia's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. By March 2016, reports surfaced indicating that Willemse had parted ways with Sony Music alongside other alumni from The X Factor. Subsequently, in June, he secured representation with management firm 123 Agency.

2017–present: "Vapours"

In January 2017, Nathaniel announced his upcoming single "Vapours," set for release on 27 January. He described the track as an exploration of being captivated or intoxicated by a person or moment, aiming to deliver a sound that is distinct, sincere, and somewhat defiant through innovative sonic textures.

Between October 2017 and January 2018, Willemse starred in the musical production "Let's Get it On," which honored the life and music of Marvin Gaye.

Personal life

On 11 January 2015, Willemse married his longtime partner and model Fujan Erfanian in Langkawi, Malaysia. Their relationship had been established prior to his public emergence on The X Factor Australia.

Studio albums

Studio albums with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
Yours 5

Extended plays

Title Information
EP
  • Release date: 29 October 2011
  • Available formats: Digital download

Singles

Title Year Highest chart rankings Certifications Associated album
AUS NZ
"Vertigo" 2008 — — Single not included on any album
"You Are the One" 2011 — — From EP
"You" 2013 4 16
  • ARIA: 2× Platinum
 From Yours
"I Am Australian"
(featuring Dami Im, Jessica Mauboy, Justice Crew, Samantha Jade, Taylor Henderson) 		2014 51 — Single released independently of an album
"You're Beautiful" 2014 14 — From Yours
"Live Louder" 2014 4 —
  • ARIA: Platinum
 From Yours
"Flava" 2015 — —

Included on Yours

"Always Be Yours" 2015 79 —

Part of Yours

"Jungle Boogie" 2015 — — Released as a standalone single
"Vapours" 2017 — — Non-album single release
"Moon" 2018 — — Issued independently of an album
"Mysterious Girl"
(collaboration with Rowen Reecks) 		2018 — — Non-album single release
"Us" 2019 — — Released as a non-album single

Other charted songs

Title Year Highest chart position achieved
AUS
"The Scientist" 2012 75
"Red" 91

Music videos

Title Year of release Director(s)
"You" 2013 Toby Angwin
"You're Beautiful" 2014
"Live Louder"
"Always Be Yours" 2015 Nik Kacevski
"Vapours" 2017 Epik Films

Tours

As headliner
  • The X Factor Live Tour (2013)
As supporting performer

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards, presented by the Australasian Performing Right Association, annually honor achievements in songwriting, sales, and radio airplay within Australia and New Zealand.


! |- | rowspan="2"| 2014 | rowspan="2"| "You" | Pop Work of the Year | |- | Most Played Australian Work | |- |}

ARIA Music Awards

Since 1987, the ARIA Music Awards have celebrated outstanding accomplishments and creativity across various Australian music styles in an annual event.


! |- | 2014 | "You" | Song of the Year | | |- | 2015 | "Live Louder" | Song of the Year | | |- |}

World Music Awards

Established in 1989 by Prince Albert II of Monaco alongside executive producer John Martinotti, the World Music Awards was an international ceremony predominantly held in Monte Carlo. The event occurred sporadically until 2014.


! |- |rowspan="5"| 2014 |rowspan="3"| Nathaniel Willemse | World's Best Male Artist | | |- | World's Best Live Act | | |- | World's Best Entertainer of the Year | | |- |rowspan="2"| "You" | World's Best Song | | |- | World's Best Video | | |}

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