Jai Waetford

Last updated

Jai Waetford
Jai Waetford at Groove CTW.jpg
Jai Waetford in 2016.
Background information
Born (1999-01-25) 25 January 1999 (age 24) [1]
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Genres Pop
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2013–present
Labels Sony
Website www.jaiwaetfordofficial.com
Nationality Australian
Height165 cm (65 in)

Jai Waetford (born 25 January 1999 [1] ) is an Australian pop singer and songwriter who was the last contestant eliminated on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia . He subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia and released his debut single "Your Eyes", which peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart. Waetford's self-titled debut EP was released in December 2013 and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Waetford joined the Australian soap opera Neighbours in February 2016 as Angus Beaumont-Hannay; his debut episode aired on 2 May. His latest EP Heart Miles was released 3 June 2016.

Contents

Early life

Jai Waetford was born in 1999 and is from Campbelltown, a suburb in south-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. [1] He was raised by his mother Alana Dow and grandparents Hannah and Roger Dow. [2] At a young age, Waetford's father left him and his mother. [1] [3] He taught himself how to play guitar from watching videos on YouTube. [4] He was educated at Campbelltown Performing Arts High School [1] and left school in 2014 after completing Year 10. [5]

Music career

2013: The X Factor Australia

In 2013, Waetford auditioned for the fifth season of The X Factor Australia , singing "Different Worlds" by Jes Hudak and an original song titled "Don't Let Me Go". [6] He progressed to the super bootcamp stage of the competition. On the first day of super bootcamp, Waetford performed "Titanium" by David Guetta and advanced to the second stage of super bootcamp, where he sang "Last Request" by Paulo Nutini. [6] On the final day of super bootcamp, Waetford performed "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift to the judges and a live audience of one thousand. [6] He made it through to the home visits round and was put into the Boys category, which was mentored by Ronan Keating. At the home visits, he sang Elvis Presley's version of "Always on My Mind" and made it through to the live shows. [6] Waetford went on to reach the grand final, being the last contestant eliminated behind Taylor Henderson who runner-up and Dami Im who won the show.

  denotes a performance that entered the ARIA Singles
  denotes eliminated

Performances on The X Factor

2013: Jai Waetford EP and Get to Know You

After The X Factor ended Waetford signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. [7] His debut single "Your Eyes", which would have been his winner's single if he had won The X Factor, was released that same day. The song peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for sales exceeding 35,000 copies. [8] [9] On 23 November 2013, Waetford toured alongside Third Degree, Taylor Henderson, Dami Im and Jiordan Tolli for The X Factor Live Tour, which ended on 2 December 2013. [10] On 6 December 2013, he released his self-titled debut EP, which peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart. [8] Waetford's second EP, Get to Know You, was released on 28 March 2014. [11] Its title track was released as a single and peaked at number 32 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [8] Waetford served as the supporting act for Justice Crew's #HypeTour in April 2014 around Australia. [12] Waetford's third EP, Shy consisted of six covers and one single. [13]

2016–2017: "Living Not Dreaming" and Heart Miles

He released the single "Living Not Dreaming" in February 2016. [14] followed by the EP Heart Miles which was released 3 June 2016. Music videos have been recorded for both 'Living Not Dreaming' and 'Heart Miles' as well as a promotional video called Heart Miles EP which shows Jai discussing a long-distance relationship featuring snippets of each of the new songs from his EP. Jai toured a variety of cities to promote his new work across Europe, Indonesia and Thailand in May and June 2016, during which he performed his new material as well as covers of Drake's single "One Dance" and Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself".

2018: Return to music, "Lost in You", "Get Over" and "Friends"

In October 2018, Waetford released his first single in a year, titled "Lost in You". Waetford said: "I wrote 'Lost in You' about someone who I met in a dark time that captivated me to a point where my life suddenly revolved around this person. When I was writing this, it was strange to me because I found myself involving her in everything I did; I was living for someone else." [15] Waetford spoke candidly about his past mental health struggles, in an interview with the Herald Sun, saying he "couldn't find happiness in anything".[ citation needed ]

After sharing his mental health struggles in a candid social media post in August, Waetford was approached by the Australian Suicide Prevention Foundation to become an ambassador for their You Are Not Alone campaign.[ citation needed ]

Waetford then released the singles "Get Over" and "Friends", which premiered with urban music outlet Complex. [16] "Friends" is co-written by Waetford with James Agnus (Carmouflage Rose, Tigerilla, Tkay Maidza) who also produced the record. "James and I were trying to find a sound that mashed urban drums with pop instrumentation and vocal melody," explains Jai of the collaboration. "We then stumbled across this beat James had made a while back, ran with it, and ended up really digging the result." "'Friends' is all about the online world and the real world colliding. Often we say things online that we wouldn't say in real life, and 'Friends' is about a situation where that happened to me."[ citation needed ]

Artistry

Aside from singing, Waetford also plays guitar and writes his own songs. [2] He cites Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Guy Sebastian, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder as his musical influences. [6]

Concert tours

Headlining

Supporting

Joining

Discography

Extended plays

TitleEP detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[8]
Jai Waetford 21
Get to Know You
  • Released: 28 March 2014 [11]
  • Label: Sony Music Australia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
—
Shy
  • Released: 16 January 2015 [13]
  • Label: Sony Music Australia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
—
Heart Miles
  • Released: 3 June 2016
  • Label: Sony Music Australia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
24
Figure It Out
  • Released: 24 May 2019 [19]
  • Label: Sony Music Australia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
—
"—" denotes an EP that did not chart.

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positions Certifications Album/EP
AUS
[8]
2013"Your Eyes"6Jai Waetford
2014"Get to Know You" [11] 32Get to Know You
"Shy" [20] —Shy
2016"Living Not Dreaming" [21] —Heart Miles
"Waves"—
2017"Drunk Together" (featuring Allday) [22] —Non-album singles
"Champagne" [23] —
"Girl with a Suntan" [24] —
"We Don't Have To" [25] —
2018"Lost in You" [26] —
"Get Over" [27] —
"Friends" [28] —Figure it Out
2019"Honestly" (featuring Carmouflage Rose) [29] —
"Figure It Out" [30] —
2021"Lowlow" [31] —TBA
"Options" (with Mansus) [32] —
"Cocaine Kisses" [33] —
"Running Cold Pt.2" [34] —

Other charted songs

YearTitlePeak chart positions
AUS
[35]
2013"Fix You"55
"The Way You Make Me Feel"97
"That Should Be Me"83
"Somewhere Only We Know"95
"Dynamite"89
"Don't Let Me Go"37

Album appearances

YearTitleAlbum
2014"White Christmas"The Spirit of Christmas 2014 [36]

Music videos

YearTitleDirector
2014"Get to Know You" [37]
2015"Shy" [38]
2016"Living Not Dreaming" [39] Nick Waterman
"Heart Miles" [40]

Awards and nominations

YearTypeAwardResult
2013Poprepublic.tv AwardsFavourite Australian Male Artist/Breakthrough Artist of 2013Nominated
2017TV Week Logie AwardBest New TalentNominated
2017Kids' Choice AwardFavourite #FamousNominated

Related Research Articles

Jiordan Anna Tolli is an Australian actress and singer, known for playing the role of Lolly Allen in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. In 2013, Tolli competed in the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and reached the top five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reigan Derry</span> Musical artist

Reigan Elisse Derry, also known mononymously as Reigan, is an Australian singer and songwriter. Derry rose to fame after placing eleventh on the fourth season of Australian Idol in 2006. The following year, she became a member of the Australian pop duo Scarlett Belle, who disbanded in 2011. Three years later, Derry placed fourth on the sixth season of The X Factor Australia. She subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and released her debut extended play, All of the Pieces, in December 2014. Currently Reigan works as a club singer for various agencies in Sydney and the Gold Coast.

Brothers3 are an Australian country music band from Mudgee, New South Wales. The band consists of brothers Makirum, Shardyn and Tayzin Fahey-Leigh. In 2014, Brothers3 were the last contestant eliminated on the sixth season of The X Factor Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Parie</span> Australian singer (born 1996)

Christina Parie, also known by her stage names KYA and Christina Castle, is an Australian singer, best known as a finalist on the third season of The X Factor Australia in 2011. She subsequently signed with Warner Music Australia and released her debut single "16 & Unstoppable" in July 2012. Parie then changed her stage name to KYA, releasing a single titled "What I Live For" with LDN Noise in May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice Crew discography</span>

The discography of Australian hip-hop dance and pop music group Justice Crew consists of one studio album, one compilation album, one video album, sixteen singles, one album appearance and thirteen music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The X Factor (Australian TV series) discography</span>

The discography of The X Factor Australia consists of music releases from contestants of the show. While some contestants have been signed to record labels, others have released their music independently. Since season one, contestants have achieved commercial success on the Australian ARIA Charts, with thirteen top-ten albums, eighteen top-ten songs, and twenty-nine platinum and thirteen gold certifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bella Ferraro</span> Australian singer

Bella Ferraro is an Australian singer most notable for and was the tenth contestant eliminated on the fourth season of The X Factor Australia in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathaniel Willemse</span> Musical artist

Nathaniel Willemse, often known simply as Nathaniel, is a South African-born Australian singer and songwriter most notable for being the eighth contestant eliminated on the fourth season of The X Factor Australia. In 2013, he signed a recording contract with DNA Songs' label through Sony Music Australia, and released the single "You", which peaked at number four on the ARIA Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Collective (band)</span> Australian boy band

The Collective were an Australian boy band consisting of members Trent Bell, Julian De Vizio, Zach Russell, Jayden Sierra and Will Singe. They were formed during the fourth season of The X Factor Australia in 2012 and were the last contestant eliminated. The Collective subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia and released their debut single "Surrender", which debuted at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart. The group's self-titled album, The Collective, was released in December 2012 and debuted at number 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The Collective disbanded in 2015 to pursue solo careers.

<i>The X Factor</i> (Australian season 5) Season of television series

The X Factor was an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent; the winner of which received a Sony Music Australia recording contract and a management deal. The fifth season premiered on the Seven Network on 29 July 2013 and ended on 28 October 2013. The winner was Dami Im and her winner's single "Alive" was released after the final. Im was mentored throughout by Dannii Minogue, who won as mentor for the first time on the Australian series, and third overall. The show was presented by Luke Jacobz, and Ronan Keating and Natalie Bassingthwaighte returned as judges. Minogue and Redfoo joined the judging panel as replacements for former judges, Mel B and Guy Sebastian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dami Im</span> Australian singer (born 1988)

Dami Im is an Australian singer and songwriter. She represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 held in Stockholm, Sweden with the song "Sound of Silence", placing second and achieving the highest Eurovision Song Contest score for Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Clique (duo)</span> Australian pop duo

The Clique were an Australian pop duo consisting of members Jacinta Gulisano and Jordan Rodrigues. They were formed in 2013 originally as the trio Third Degree, who competed in the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and were the tenth contestant eliminated. The group subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia and released their debut single "Different Kind of Love", which peaked at number 22 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Following the departure of Kelebek in 2014, Third Degree changed their name to The Clique and were no longer signed to Sony Music. The group disbanded in 2015 to pursue solo careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Henderson</span> Australian singer and songwriter (born 1993)

Taylor James Henderson is an Australian singer and songwriter. Originating from Ceres, Victoria, Henderson rose to fame after placing third on the fourth series of Australia's Got Talent in 2010. Three years later, he became the runner-up on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Eyes (Jai Waetford song)</span> 2013 single by Jai Waetford

"Your Eyes" is the debut single by season five second runner-up of The X Factor Australia, Jai Waetford. It was released digitally by Sony Music Australia on 1 November 2013 as the lead single from his debut EP Jai Waetford (2013). The song peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling over 35,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joelle Hadjia</span> Australian singer (born 1990)

Joanne Hadjia is an Australian singer best known simply as Joey Djia and for competing in the fourth season of The X Factor Australia as part of the duo Good Question and in the fifth season as a solo singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Henderson discography</span>

The discography of Australian singer and songwriter Taylor Henderson consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, nine singles one album appearance, and five music videos. Henderson was the runner-up on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia in 2013, and subsequently received a contract with Sony Music Australia. He released his self-titled debut album in November 2013, which features selected songs he performed as part of the top twelve on The X Factor. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 70,000 copies. Additionally, the album also included Henderson's debut single "Borrow My Heart", which topped the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Ray</span> Australian singer and songwriter

Dean Pritchard, better known by his stage name Dean Ray, is an Australian singer and songwriter. In 2014, he was the runner-up on the sixth season of The X Factor Australia. Ray subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and released his debut single "Coming Back", which debuted at number one on the ITunes Singles Chart and number five on the ARIA Singles Chart. This was followed by the release of his self-titled debut album in November 2014, which debuted at number five on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlisa Punzalan</span> Musical artist

Marlisa Ann Punzalan, also known simply as Marlisa, is an Australian singer. She won the sixth season of The X Factor Australia in 2014, aged 15, the youngest contestant to have won the show. Punzalan subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and released her debut single "Stand by You", which debuted at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association. This was followed by the release of her self-titled debut album Marlisa, which debuted at number six the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold. "Stand by You" was nominated for the ARIA Award for Song of the Year in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dami Im discography</span>

The discography of South Korean-born Australian recording artist Dami Im consists of six studio albums, four extended plays, nineteen singles and two album appearances. Im began her music career as a gospel singer in Korea and independently released her debut studio album, Dream, in 2010. She was the winner on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia in 2013, and subsequently received a contract with Sony Music Australia. Im released her self-titled second studio album in November 2013, which features selected songs she performed as part of the top twelve on The X Factor. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 70,000 copies. Additionally, the album also included Im's debut single "Alive", which topped the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified platinum. She became the first X Factor Australia contestant to follow up a number one single with a number one album on the ARIA Charts.

Cyrus Villanueva, also known mononymously as Cyrus, is an Australian singer from Wollongong, New South Wales. He is best known for winning the seventh season of The X Factor Australia in 2015. His debut studio album Cyrus was released on 9 December 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Moran, Jonathan (14 July 2013). "Jai Waetford may look like Justin Bieber but this teen has his own talent". The Daily Telegraph . Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  2. 1 2 Braithwaite, Alyssa (1 August 2013). "X Factor's Jai Waetford: I won't let fame go to my head". Who . Pacific Magazines. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  3. ↑ Giles, Amber (10–16 August 2013). "Jai's Secret Love". TV Week (32): 10.
  4. ↑ Adams, Cameron (21 August 2013). "X Factor reveals final Top 12 to perform at live shows". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  5. ↑ Te Koha, Nui (25 January 2015). "X Factor runner up Jai Waetford plays the waiting game". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jai Waetford". The X Factor Australia . Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 27 October 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  7. ↑ McCabe, Kathy (1 November 2013). "X Factor stars Taylor, Jai and Third Degree to release singles today". News.com.au. News Limited. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Hung, Steffen. "Discography Jai Waetford". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  9. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  10. 1 2 "The X Factor Live Tour 2013". The X Factor Australia. Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 "Get to Know You – EP by Jai Waetford". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  12. 1 2 "#HypeTour Dates, Venues & On Sale Details Announced!". Justicecrew.com. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Shy – EP by Jai Waetford". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "Living Not Dreaming - Single by Jai Waetford on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Get Lost in Jai Waetford's 'Lost in You'". auspOp. 5 October 2018.
  16. ↑ "Complex".
  17. ↑ Corner, Lewis (14 March 2016). "Little Mix tour live review: One of the best pop concerts you'll go to this year". Digital Spy . Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  18. ↑ "Home". Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "Figure it Out". iTunes Store. Apple. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  20. ↑ "Jai Waetford is Back with Brand New Single 'Shy'". Voice FM 99.9. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  21. ↑ "Jai Waetford releases latest single 'Living Not Dreaming' out now!". Sony Music Australia. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  22. ↑ "Drunk Together — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  23. ↑ "Champagne — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 18 August 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  24. ↑ "Girl with a Suntan — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  25. ↑ "We Don't Have To — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  26. ↑ "Lost in You — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  27. ↑ "Get Over — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  28. ↑ "Friends — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  29. ↑ "Honestly — Single by Jai Waetford". iTunes Australia. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  30. ↑ "Figure It Out - Single by Jai Waetford". iPlusflex. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  31. ↑ "Lowlow — Single by Jai Waetford". Apple Music. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  32. ↑ ""Options" jai x mansus MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!!". Facebook. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  33. ↑ "Cocaine Kisses — Single by Jai Waetford". Apple Music. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  34. ↑ "Running Cold Pt.2 — Single by Jai Waetford". Apple Music. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  35. ↑ Peak chart positions for other charted songs:
  36. ↑ "The Spirit of Christmas 2014 by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  37. ↑ "Jai Waetford – Get to Know You". YouTube. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  38. ↑ McCabe, Kathy (20 January 2015). "X Factor's Jai Waetford launches his new single Shy via YouTube". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  39. ↑ "Jai Waetford - Living Not Dreaming". YouTube. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  40. ↑ "Jai Waetford - Heart Miles". YouTube. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.