Soundtrack Of My Life: Leah Williamson

11 August, 2023

Leah Williamson

The first song I remember hearing

Enrique Iglesias – ‘Hero’

“This is an embarrassing one. My mum tells me I had it on cassette, but I just remember [playing it on] my CD player with my little headphones. I played it literally over and over and over again as a baba listening to it… I think I adored him as well.”

The first album I ever owned

LeAnne Rimes – ‘The Best of LeAnn Rimes’

“I loved [Rimes’ 1997 hit] ‘How Do I Live’ when I was younger and I know this album word for word… I specifically remember [the disc] was gold in my CD player, which I used a lot apparently! There’s no way that I could get away with my music in the dressing room.”

The first gig I went to

Scouting For Girls at Hammersmith Apollo, London

“I went to gigs when I was younger, but my that mum took me. I saw Steps and Hear’Say in the space of a week on my own. I was 13 and… it was the first time I was allowed to go on my own and I was surrounded by a sea of teenage girls. It’s my favourite venue.”

The song that reminds me of home

Van Morrison – ‘Brown Eyed Girl’

“My granddad, he’s not with us anymore, loved Van Morrison. We were brought up with him repeatedly saying that this is not his best song but it’s so iconic. If it comes on everyone will be up… I love it, it’s like an absolute banger as well. I like it because it means something to me, but you can play it anywhere.”

The song I wish I’d written

The Beatles – ‘All You Need Is Love’

“There are songs I wish I’d written because I’d have been rich! Songs like ‘All I Want For Christmas’ and stuff like that. But, it’s The Beatles, in terms of sort of turning the tide of music and creating this new sound and the lyrics too. ‘All You Need Is Love’ is genius. Any of The Beatles’ songs when you look back are just great – but especially this song.”

The song I perform at karaoke

Ben E. King – ‘Stand By Me’

“This is gonna get wild. It was my initiation at Arsenal. I sang it a couple of times. To be fair, I ended up singing it at Alex Scott’s book launch. I don’t know how that happened. It had nothing to do with me but somehow I took centre stage… If I didn’t care about the audience, I’d sing P!nk‘s ‘Just Like A Pill’. My vocal range doesn’t support me, so it would have to be people that didn’t care.”

The song I can’t get out of my head

Roy Ayers – ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’

“Me and [Williamson’s PR and friend] Remmie Williams were at a record store the other day and she saw it on the wall and bought it which is not fair – I didn’t see it! Ever since then, a week and a half ago, I can’t get it out my head.”

The song I can no longer listen to

Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds – ‘Three Lions’

“It’s a bit triggering with my knee situation [Williamson missed out on playing at this year’s World Cup due to an injury] and I want to associate it with good memories. The song I’ve heard too much in my life is Ed Sheeran‘s ‘Shape Of You’. It’s a masterpiece. It’s one of those ones where it comes on and I’ll still sing it. I would never ever put that on my playlist though. It was just everywhere.”

The song that makes me want to dance

Lucenzo – ‘Danza Kuduro’ (feat. Don Omar)

“Me and [Williamson’s England teammate] Keira Walsh play a lot of dancehall and you dance but in a cool way. If ‘Danza Kuduro’ comes on I wouldn’t stay still. No matter what I was doing. I would be up.”

The song that makes me want to cry

Whitney Houston – ‘Run To You’

“I’m quite emotional and I do cry at a lot of music. ‘Run To You’ makes me cry every single time.”

The song I want played at my funeral

Van Morrison – ‘Have I Told You Lately’

“I’m a very deep person. I want everybody to be sad obviously that I’ve left this world but I’d go for this one because the lyrics are: ‘Have I told you lately that I love you.’ It’ll be like: ‘This is me and here I go – know that I had a good time.’ But, obviously, I know that it will make people cry which is the main reason I’m inclined to [pick it].”