Singer Alexander Williams popularly known as AW Lyrical, who is currently at the peak of his career and being booked for shows every weekend, said there is a lot more that his fans can expect from him as he is working to create an international platform and name for himself.
Born on the island of Leguan, Lyrical has a story that would quickly bring anyone to tears. He told the Scene that from a very young age he was forced to fend for himself as he was practically disowned by his parents. “I’ve had a really hard time growing up… I grow up hand to mouth as they would say in Guyana. I grew up very poor, mistreated,” he related.
But music has and will always be his safe space – something he turns to for comfort, peace of mind, and even motivation. “The situation I went through, I used to listen to a lot of music,” he said.
It was at the age of 15 that he received his first compliment after singing. He was told ‘you actually sound like the real thing’. Initially, Lyrical didn’t think much of it because of his love for music, he continued singing. As he got older, more people began to pay attention to his voice and they began asking him to perform at home events, which he did for free as at that time he could not have fathomed the idea of charging a fee for his talent. “When I did those three songs, perform free for them, the people were blown away and said you should continue,” he said.
It was then that he decided to take up performing a bit more seriously and to his surprise, he started to receive numerous bookings. The young man has 12 original songs with his most popular one being about his life struggles. He said he never expected that song to resonate so much with people, as he just did it as a form of therapy to get what he went through out of his system.
Touching a bit on his past before getting fully into performing, Lyrical said he was a construction worker who was barely making ends meet. According to him, there were nights when he went to bed without dinner as he simply could not afford to have anything.
However, when his career started to take off the pandemic hit, which ultimately put everything on hold. The talented, well-spoken, and ambitious young man remained steadfast on his path – quietly perfecting his craft to return to the stage.
After the restrictions were lifted, Lyrical’s career exploded like a grenade with him now being one of Guyana’s most booked artists. “Anybody who knows Lyrical, knows I am mostly booked. Every weekend, at least two or three shows I have to do,” he said.
Lyrical, who also won first place in the male category for the Cricket Carnival Chutney Competition, noted that at present he is “touring all over the country. I’ve also made two trips to Brazil.”
He also has a massive following in the Caribbean community and the diaspora.
Meanwhile, Lyrical’s fans have played a major role in his career whether they know it or not. While not having the support of a family, he said that his fans keep him motivated and focused. “From the beginning, the fans were motivating… The love and support I get from the people makes me want to bring more and do more for them,” he stressed.
Touching on his million-dollar win at the Cricket Carnival Competition, Lyrical said he was just speechless. He said he didn’t do much to prepare, except tell himself that he was going to go on stage with a clear mind and give it his all. “I was speechless. I was shocked. I went there without any plan in my head and went with the moment,” he related.
While he has exceeded his expectations, Lyrical said his long-term goal is to become “Guyana’s best” as well as being “internationally recognised. I want to have my name to be big and I am going to try my best.
“As for the next five years, I see myself well recognised and being one of the most versatile artists in Guyana.”
Lyrical has never forgotten where he came from and the struggles he went through, and so he uses this to help others. While he did not want to speak in detail about how he gives back, it should be known that he gives to orphanages and the less fortunate every few months with his earnings.
He advised others to go after their dreams and never give up on themselves. “I would say that I have come from nothing to something. If you want to be that person, pursue it and believe in yourself. Your personality decides how far you go, remain calm and humble… Push yourself,” he said.
According to him, after he made something of himself certain people tried to return to his life but he remained firmly against that. “… I have someone who came into my life and adopted me to be her son. She is nothing less than a real mother to me. … I wish not to relive the pain and hurt,” he noted.
He also touched on social media and how important it is as a platform to gain recognition and promote yourself.
But with over four events every weekend, how does Lyrical take a day off? This he is still yet to figure out as his main focus right now is building his career. “I love it because of the fans,” he noted. “It brings me happiness. It makes other people happy. It’s such a happy feeling, you could do something and make other people happy. It’s something I’m going to always do.”
Multiple times throughout the interview Lyrical thanked his fans and even at the end he took the opportunity to “Let the public know, I give gratitude towards them. I really appreciate the support, I’m going to do good things and keep the entertaining vibes. I will be taking part in future competitions. I will be putting myself in every opportunity possible.”
