Olly Alexander confirms he’s abandoned Years & Years moniker at Radio 1’s Big Weekend

nme.com:

Olly Alexander confirmed that he is now performing under his own name during his performance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.Alexander broke out in music as the frontman of Years & Years alongside Mikey Goldsworthy & Emre Türkmen.

They released two albums together, 2015’s ‘Communion’ and 2018’s ‘Palo Santo’, spawning hits such as ‘King’ and ‘Shine’. Alexander then continued as a solo artist under the Years & Years banner for 2022’s ‘Night Call’.During his show at Luton’s Stockwood Park – his first performance since competing in Eurovision earlier this month – Alexander revealed it was officially also his first show under his own name.“Listen, listen, I don’t know have to tell you how good it feels to be back in the UK, doing a show – do you know what this is my first ever show as Olly Alexander,” he said. “I used to be in Years & Years, I used to be Years & Years and now I’m just me.”Alexander finished 18th in Eurovision with the song ‘Dizzy’, which he performed during his Big Weekend set.

To introduce it, he said: “And now for the song that was only 17 places away from winning the Eurovision Song Contest, it’s ‘Dizzy’.”He also performed a cover of Pet Shop Boys‘ ‘It’s A Sin’, which ‘Dizzy’ had been compared to in the run-up to Eurovision.During a new interview with NME, Tennant revealed that he had been made aware of the comparisons – but dismissed there being any likeness between the two songs.“When I read people saying it sounded similar, I immediately listened to it and I don’t think it does,” he said.“But personally, I always think Pet Shop Boys sound like something else to what everyone else does.