Rising South African singer-songwriter Will Linley is turning the rush and ache of first love into widescreen pop on his debut album, Don’t Cry Because It’s Over out today via Island Records. Fresh from releasing the tender new single “First Love,” a reflection on the lessons learned in a first breakup, Linley leans into honesty while keeping the melodies sky-bright and immediate. Written and recorded in Los Angeles with executive producers David Balshaw and Bubele Booi (The Imports), the record threads the emotional realism of classic rom-coms—Notting Hill, About Time, Friends with Benefits—through polished, modern pop shaped by touchstones like Coldplay, One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer.
It’s the latest chapter in a fast-moving story that kicked off when “miss me (when you’re gone)” exploded online, paving the way for packed shows across South Africa, North America and Europe, a turn on the Lollapalooza stage, and a support slot with OneRepublic. Along the way, Linley honed a “sad-pop” sweet spot on his kill all my feelings and magic EPs—pairing confessional lyrics with euphoric, dance-ready hooks—and teed up the album earlier this summer with the gleaming single “Cinematic.”
In our conversation, Linley talks about the lightning-bolt moment that birthed “Up At Night,” the joy of collaborating with Jackson Foote, Colin Foote and Alex Borel, and why every song has to earn its place onstage. He opens up about embracing vulnerability, channelling his love of rom-coms into storytelling, and carrying Cape Town’s creative spirit onto a global platform as he steps into his biggest era yet.
You’ve described “Up At Night” as “pure joy” and something meant for dancing or screaming in the car. What moment or feeling sparked the idea for this song, and how did you know immediately it was destined to be a single?
I wrote this at the end of a three-day writing camp with my friends Jackson, Colin, and Alex. We were pretty spent on the third day and had thrown around a bunch of different ideas and nothing really clicked. We were pretty close to throwing in the towel until Alex started playing the chords for the “Up At Night” chorus on a tiny piano he had on his lap. He just casually said, “What if it’s like, ‘Good luck, baby, getting me off your mind’?” and we all looked at each other, started laughing, and suddenly the chorus of “Up At Night” was written in like 15 minutes. From that moment on, we knew how much we loved the chorus, and the verses were written just as fast, and we knew that this song meant a lot to us.
How was it working with Jackson Foote, Colin Foote, and Alex Borel on the track?
It was so much fun. They truly are some of my favourite collaborators. I’ve worked with them a lot on other songs like “Magic” and “Tough”. And they have two songs on my debut album.
The album captures the full arc of first love, from its hopeful start to its quiet ending. What personal experiences did you draw on, and how vulnerable was it to put those emotions into a full-length project?
I think for so long I’ve been so scared about being vulnerable in my songwriting, but I realised very quickly in the creation of this project that vulnerability was not something I should shy away from but rather something I should step into boldly. So, with all these songs on this project, I draw from life experiences in various different ways. Obviously, a song like “First Love” is incredibly personal, and yet other songs like “Kiss Me Like You Mean It” are just fun songs that I want people to dance to.
You’ve said rom-coms like Notting Hill and About Time inspired the storytelling. How do films influence the way you write music, and is there a scene from a movie that you felt mirrored one of your songs perfectly?
I think there is that scene at the end of Notting Hill where the character “Will” is running through the street trying to catch Anna at her final press conference before she leaves the UK. There’s so much anticipation in the scene—the rush of thinking, is he gonna make it or is he not? It’s with scenes like this that I feel like if my music can be put over something as captivating as that scene, I would be a happy man!
Sonically, the album pulls inspiration from Coldplay, One Direction, and 5SOS. How do you balance paying homage to these influences while carving out your own distinct voice?
I think that, naturally, as soon as I start singing, it becomes a Will Linley song. And that is something that I think holds true throughout this whole project. Yes, there may be inspirations that I draw from when I make my music, but the reality is that as soon as I put my voice on it, I really believe that the song falls into a completely new world.
From your early viral moment on TikTok with “miss me (when you’re gone)” to now releasing your debut album, what’s been the most surreal shift in your career so far?
I think it’s the ability to play live. For so long I’ve just wanted to be on stage singing and dancing to my songs, but I’ve never known how to make it happen. A song like “Miss Me” did incredible things. It slingshotted me into the live sphere, and I’ve been so grateful for that shift in my life. It’s truly something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay.
Your EPs leaned into “sad-pop”: bright production with emotional lyricism. With this album, do you feel like you’ve stepped into a new chapter creatively?
I feel like it’s an extension of what I’ve been doing over the last four years. It isn’t a departure, and it’s not a new creative direction, but I think it’s a more intense creative direction into the places we were already journeying.
You’ve already performed at huge festivals like Lollapalooza and supported OneRepublic. How has performing live shaped the way you write and record music in the studio?
It plays a massive role in the way that I write and record music, because if you can’t picture yourself playing the song live, then I truly don’t think that there’s a point in even finishing the song. There is a magic and a beauty in creating live versions of your songs, and for me, that’s where I fell in love with music and fell in love with all my favourite artists.
Growing up in Cape Town with a creative family, you and your brothers put on “home concerts.” Looking back now, do you see those moments as the seed for what’s happening in your career today?
I think to an extent, for sure. We were taught that it was okay to be wacky and wonderful—to perform and to not hold back. I think if my parents had stopped us from doing such things as little kids, I certainly wouldn’t have had the courage to get up on a stage and perform my songs for people.
You’ve called your debut LP the “sonic equivalent of a rom-com.” If your life so far were a rom-com, what would the title be and who would play you in the film?
I’d obviously get Rachel McAdams to play the female lead because she is the most iconic figure in rom-coms. I feel like I would’ve called it “Don’t cry because it’s over”, but I feel like that’s cheating because that’s what my album title is. So you might have to come back to me on that one!
You’ve built a really global fanbase already. As a South African artist now signed to Island Records, what does it mean to you to be taking your sound and story to such a wide audience?
I count it the greatest honour. I really believe that there’s something truly magical happening in the South African music scene, and to be playing a tiny part in that is something I don’t take for granted.
