He's got the moves and the voice - it just took J Williams some time to find his inner diva. He talks to JOANNA HUNKIN.
To watch J Williams' music video Ghetto Flower is to see a man who oozes confidence - and perhaps a little arrogance. He's a smooth-talking, sultry singing, ladies man, who has mastered the "meaningful" stare.
But Josh Williams - the cheerful-but-shy 22-year-old behind the stage persona - is a little
less sure of himself. In fact, he had to create an alter-ego just to get himself on stage.
"Honestly, that was the hardest thing. To get over that whole nervous thing," he says, recalling the whirlwind events of the past year.
A champion breakdancer, Williams was touring as a backing dancer last year when he began to sing along with the music. Someone up the front liked what they heard and convinced him to sign up to their label, Illegal Music.
A year later, his debut album Young Love is about to be released through Warner Music and he's already scored a top 10 hit with Ghetto Flower, which spent 11 weeks in the Top 40 charts.
Growing up in a musical family - his two older sisters are both professional singers - Williams had always sung at home, in private. But the idea of performing in public terrified him.
Strangely, he says, he never suffered stage fright with dance performances. It was only singing that had him on edge.
But after years of family and friends encouraging him to share his talent, he decided to face his fear - and take a leaf from Beyonce's book in the process.
"I sort of transform into someone else. You know how Beyonce, she goes on stage and she's Sasha Fierce and that helps her? I took that and made it my own.
"I go on stage and I'm J Williams. But when I'm off stage, talking to you, I'm just Josh," he says with a cheeky laugh.
Two other reasons Williams stalled on pursuing a music career were his older sisters, Emily - who came second in the third season of Australian Idol - and Lavina - a former member of girl group Ma-V-Elle.
"I sort of felt like [singing] was my sisters' thing, I always felt like I had to do something else," he explains.
"But last year, I really felt I needed to do something with my singing."
Combined with his extensive dance experience, Williams hopes he has what it takes to emulate the success of his idols, Chris Brown and Michael Jackson. Although, he's quick to point out, he only admires their professional achievements - not their personal demons.
"I definitely want to take it overseas," he's says eagerly. "We're hoping to hit Australia in November and then Japan and Europe, and ultimately America. I want to go just to prove that New Zealand has talent. We're not all about sheep and farms."
And watching Savage's Stateside success last year has only boosted Williams' confidence.
"He's from South Auckland as well. Coming from the same place as where I come from is a big inspiration. It shows me that I can do it."
But perhaps his biggest inspiration, Williams says, is big sister Lavina, who duets with her brother on the track Stand With You.
"She gives me a lot of advice to be a better artist and singer. She pushed me in the studio and made me sing things I didn't know how to sing and reach notes that I didn't even know I could reach."
She also helped write the hit Ghetto Flower, which he says is for "all the independent, beautiful - inside and out - divas".
"She was a big help with the album," he says. "My two older sisters, they're definitely my inspirations."
LOWDOWN
Who: Joshua Williams aka J Williams
WHAT: His debut album Young Love is out July 13
Also: J Williams performs with Che Fu, Savage, Smashproof, DJ Sir-Vere and more at the Pick It Up Youth Concert next Wednesday, July 8.
Where: TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre, Manukau
