Music

Years & Years to continue as an ‘Olly Alexander solo project’

Years & Years Olly Alexander split

Years & Years will continue as an Olly Alexander solo project. (Jo Hale/Redferns via Getty)

Years and Years have announced that the band will continue as an “Olly Alexander solo project” as their upcoming album has been an “Olly endeavour”.

In a statement released on Thursday (18 March), Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen said they are “still good friends”, but confirmed that the band’s line-up has changed.

“There’s been some changes that we want to fill you in on,” the band wrote in the statement, which was posted on Twitter.

“This upcoming new album has been an Olly endeavour and we’ve decided that Years and Years will continue as an Olly solo project. The three of us are still good friends. Mikey will be part of the Y&Y family and play with us live and Emre will focus on being a writer/producer.”

The group added: “These past 12 months have been crazy for us all and we want to thank you for the love and support you’ve given us over the years (& years).”

The band closed out their statement by telling fans that new music “will be coming this spring”.

Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander won praise for It’s a Sin

The statement comes six years after Years and Years shot to fame with their hit single “King”. The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in March 2015, while their debut album Communion topped the album charts later that year.

The group released their second album Palo Santo in 2018, which peaked at number three in the UK Albums Chart, and they had a top 10 hit with the single “If You’re Over Me”.

The news comes just weeks after Alexander confirmed that the group was working on its third studio album following the stratospheric success of his Channel 4 AIDS-drama It’s a Sin.

The band’s frontman told OK! magazine that he will keep singing “until [he] dies”, adding: “I’m putting out more music this year, but I am also going to see what happens.”

Years and Years released its cover of the Pet Shop Boys’ classic song “It’s a Sin” in January to coincide with the release of Alexander’s critically-acclaimed television series.

Fans have shared their sadness at the news, while many have shared their love for Alexander, Goldsworthy and Turkmen.

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