Singaporean singer Wils comes out in music video with his boyfriend as the leading man

Wils is singing a different tune these days: The Singaporean pop star, born Willie Tay and previously known as Willtay, publicly came out as gay with his new single, “Open Up Babe.” According to The Rainbow Times, Wils is the first openly gay Chinese singer.

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Open up, Babe ! ⠀⠀ You guys ❤️ I’m really glad that I can finally share my new single “Open Up Babe” with you.. This song got me so emotional. I remember being in this dark moment where i just couldn’t write anything because i felt like i was living a lie being in the closet. ⠀⠀ To those who ever held back because of who you are, this song is about letting that go and opening up to the beautiful things in life. Sometimes we have to face the things we’re afraid of (the deeper you dive, the freer you get) and really look at it with courage and love. This song represents the depth of your emotions where you allow yourself to let go. A space within yourself that you explore and allow yourself to express freely. A depth of self acceptance and love. ⠀⠀ Sometimes when you free yourself of the fears you have within, you’re allowing space for others to get in. The things we go through in life creates layers of walls. We must learn to unlearn the things that keep us from being truthful to ourselves ❤️ ⠀⠀ ?@yianniap Thank you for producing and creating such a remarkably deep sounding piece of music. Thank you for taking my idea and soaring it above sonically ❤️ you’re a genius and This song isn’t possible without you ? ? ⠀⠀ @serrandon thank you for creating such beautiful and inspiring colors and pictures for the world, bringing out the best in me and believing that art will bring forth so much love and beauty to this world we live in❤️ ⠀⠀ Xoxo Wils ⠀⠀ #openupbabe #lovewins

A post shared by Wils (@heywils) on Apr 24, 2019 at 3:31pm PDT

“About two years ago, I was trying to write a couple of songs, and I just felt like I couldn’t be myself, being in the closet,” Wils explains in a new Billboard interview. “I felt like it just affected a large part of my life, like hanging out with friends and family, I was just constantly living in a lie. I decided that I was going to take a two-year break, and I’ll find myself and who I am and unlearn the fears I had since I was a kid. So ultimately, when all was said and done, I came to that point, and I decided that this was the best way to let my fans know.”

Wils’ music label in Asia dropped him as an artist after he came out of the closet, as he said on YouTube, so he released “Open Up Babe” and its music video — which stars his boyfriend, according to Gay Times — independently.

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