Wils releases a new single - is this the end of his music career?
The track is Dancing Lights.
The latest single from Wils is Dancing Lights. For our podcast, How To Date Men, we caught up with Wils for a behind-the-scenes look at the single and his decision to step away from music.
Originally from Singapore, Wils is a recording artist who had to struggle to conceal his sexuality for the sake of his career - Singapore has only recently decriminalised homosexuality.
When Wils began publicly discussing his sexuality, he was dropped by his record label, he was removed from his social media accounts, and his music disappeared from streaming platforms.
“It was terrifying, because before I came out to my label, I was worried about losing my job, whether I could continue singing and all of that...” explains Wils. “So I finally came out to my label and said, ‘I really want to be an openly gay singer, and I think that’s going to help a lot of young lives in Asia.’ They were like, ‘No, we’re not going to be able to do that because we have our reputation at stake.'”
“I think they were probably worrying about their stock dropping..." added Wils. "So they removed all of my social media and dropped me from their label to be protective about their clients and sponsors. When I was dropped, it made me feel like I was being punished for being honest, and it made me feel like I was being silenced, and so it was a very painful experience for me.”
In the years that followed, Wils relocated to Los Angeles and continued to pursue his passion for music.
He's now announced that he is retiring from music, but he's got one more single to share with the world.
The single is Dancing Lights.
“My journey in music is complete...” said Wils. “It has been a heartening ten-year ride that has taught me to live fearlessly as my authentic true self and I am ready to now following the ‘Dancing Lights’ to wherever they lead me.”
Wils’ “Dancing Lights” is available on Apple Music, Amazon and all other major retailers, as well as for streaming through Spotify.