Years & Years is the solo project of English singer Olly Alexander. Until 2021, it was a London-based electro-pop trio, comprising Olly, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen. The group originally formed as a quintet in 2010, after Mikey had moved from Australia and had met Emre. Founding members Olivier Subria and Noel Leeman left the band in 2013. Shortly afterwards, Olly became the group’s frontman, after Mikey had heard him singing in the shower and invited him to join Years & Years.
Their first EP, Traps, was released in 2013. They followed up with three more EP’s, Real, Take Shelter, and Y&Y, in 2014 and 2015. Their first full-length album, Communion, was released on July 10, 2015.
In April of 2018, Years & Years began to tease fans with talks of a new record via Facebook word games and their official newsletter, hinting the album would drop by the “seventh third quarter moon,” which fell on July 6, 2018. “Sanctify” and “If You’re Over Me” were the two lead singles that led to the eventual release of the band’s sophomore album, Palo Santo.
In March 2021, Olly announced that Years & Years would become his own solo project, though both Mikey (who remained a back-up musician at live concerts) and Emre (who focused on songwriting) would keep being involved in the group in some capacities.
“Starstruck,” released in April 2021, became Years & Years' first single since the split, whereas Alexander released the third album from the project, Night Call, in January 2022.
