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Meet the singer who made you cry in Apple’s holiday commercial – Metro US

Meet the singer who made you cry in Apple’s holiday commercial

Dana Williams
Richard Corman

If you own a television, chances are you’ve caught Apple’s new holiday commercial. The ad, formally known as “The Song,” is perhaps the most tear-jerking, talked-about TV spot of the season.

The commercial opens up on a young woman who stumbles upon an old recording her grandmother made decades earlier – a love song for her husband who was away at war. From there, the granddaughter uses a mix of Apple magic and her own stunning vocals to remaster the romantic tune (the classic “Our Love Is Here to Stay”). The ad closes with the teary-eyed grandma hearing the duet for the first time.

The granddaughter, it turns out, is played by upcoming singer-songwriter Dana Williams. With a bluesy, vintage-sounding voice, Williams is getting used to fans and the media alike referring to her as the new Ella Fitzgerald.

“I would say [my style] is like soul-folk,” Williams tells Metro. “I have a very jazzy voice, but my own music is very folky.”

The 25-year-old artist is certainly making waves with her jazzy take on folk music. But the Apple ad isn’t her first TV appearance. You may remember Williams as a contestant on the first season of ABC’s Rising Star. After dazzling both the judges and viewers with her Billie Holiday-style voice, Williams went on to release her first EP back in March (an independent album called “The Lonely One”).

No stranger to the business, Williams actually grew up watching her father, David Williams, play rhythm guitar for Michael Jackson.

“I really was inspired by my father, and just watching him on stage and rehearsing and writing music,” Says Williams, who also plays guitar. “I’ve been doing music my whole life.”

Today the Los Angeles-based musician keeps busy with her popular YouTube channel, which showcases duets with artists like actress Leighton Meester. She also performs regularly and is in the process of completing her second EP. Since the Apple commercial came out, Williams says life has definitely changed.

“A lot of people have reached out to me, and a lot of people are acknowledging my music now, which is great,” she says. “[It’s] everything I could have hoped for as an independent musician.”