Jamie Miller, the 29-year-old singer from Cardiff behind the viral hit Babydoll, says his life will "never be the same again" after the song made him the first Welsh artist in 15 years to top the UK singles chart.
Babydoll reached number one last week, making Miller the first Welsh artist to top the chart since Sian Evans featured on DJ Fresh's Louder, and the first solo male Welsh artist in 41 years to do so, after Shakin' Stevens' 1985 festive hit Merry Christmas Everyone. The track broke through on TikTok after actress Jennifer Love Hewitt posted videos featuring it, and Miller said its "genuineness" stood out as his first release after taking two years off music following a hard period in his personal life.
"There's a genuineness to how I sound in the song," he said. "The world's in a little bit of a dark place right now so maybe that's why it's made people come together."
Miller said "nothing feels normal" anymore and he is trying to "live in the moment" as he adjusts to his new level of fame, having gone from watching Gavin and Stacey with his parents last Christmas to receiving social media comments from the show's stars, Ruth Jones and James Corden. His parents are "finding it a bit mad", he said, with his father still working as an Uber driver in Cardiff.
Last weekend Miller performed Babydoll on Strictly Come Dancing with Off Campus star Antonio Cipriano, a booking he called a dream. He said it was "fulfilling" to tell presenter Emma Willis, one of his "biggest champions" since he reached the final of The Voice UK in 2017, that he had "made something of myself".
Miller, who said he had been depressed for a "long time", now feels "genuine joy" and is planning a world tour, intending to put on shows in Wales. His advice to fans is to be "delusional with your dreams": "Don't worry about the street you grew up on, the financial situation you got brought into," he said. "If you don't believe in you, no one's going to believe in you."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Babydoll's number one ends a 15-year wait for a Welsh artist at the top of the UK singles chart and a 41-year gap for a solo Welsh male singer.
- The song's success shows the path from a viral TikTok moment to the top of the official UK chart.
- Miller's personal comeback, after two years away from music and a period of depression, makes his account of the achievement a story about resilience.
Background
Miller, originally from Pontprennau in Cardiff, first came to public attention as a teenager on The Voice UK, where he reached the final in 2017. After a difficult period, he took two years off music. Babydoll is his first song since the hiatus, and it went viral after actress Jennifer Love Hewitt posted videos featuring the track.
What to Watch
- Whether Miller confirms dates for his planned world tour, including the Wales shows he says are coming.
- How his next releases perform and whether future songs spark similar dance trends, which Miller says he is relaxed about: "if it becomes a trend, it becomes a trend".
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline quotes Jamie Miller as saying life will “never be the same again” after Babydoll reached number one in the UK.BBC Wales: “Babydoll singer says life will 'never be the same again' after UK number one”
- SupportedMiller became the first Welsh artist in 15 years to top the UK singles chart.BBC Wales: “Last week the 29-year-old became the first Welsh artist to top the UK singles chart in 15 years with the viral TikTok hit .”
- SupportedMiller was the first Welsh artist to top the singles chart since Sian Evans featured on DJ Fresh’s “Louder.”BBC Wales: “Miller made history when he became the first Welsh artist to top the singles chart since Sian Evans' feature on DJ Fresh's Louder.”
- SupportedMiller was the first solo male Welsh artist in 41 years to top the singles chart.BBC Wales: “He is also the first solo male Welsh artist in 41 years to top the singles chart, after Shakin' Stevens' 1985 timeless festive hit, Merry Christmas Everyone.”
- SupportedBabydoll found fame on TikTok after actress Jennifer Love Hewitt posted videos featuring it.BBC Wales: “The song found fame on TikTok when actress Jennifer Love Hewitt posted videos featuring the track.”
- SupportedMiller said the song’s genuineness made it stand out as his first song after his hiatus, which followed a difficult period in his personal life and two years off music.BBC Wales: “But Miller said the "genuineness" of the track also made it stand out as his first song since his hiatus. "I went through a really, really hard few years in my personal life, and I took two years off music," he said.”
- SupportedMiller said, “The world's in a little bit of a dark place right now so maybe that's why it's made people come together.”BBC Wales: “The world's in a little bit of a dark place right now so maybe that's why it's made people come together.”
- SupportedMiller said “nothing feels normal” and that he is trying to “live in the moment.”BBC Wales: “Jamie Miller says "nothing feels normal" anymore but he is trying to "live in the moment" as he comes to terms with his history-making song Babydoll.”
- SupportedMiller described going from watching Gavin and Stacey with his parents last Christmas to Ruth Jones and James Corden commenting on his posts.BBC Wales: “I remember sitting on the couch with my mum and dad last Christmas and we were all watching Gavin and Stacey. "Now Ruth Jones and James Corden are commenting on my posts."”
- Partly supportedMiller said his parents were finding the fame a bit mad, while his father was still working as an Uber driver in Cardiff.BBC Wales: “He said his parents were "finding it a bit mad" with his dad going back to work as an Uber driver in Cardiff.”
- SupportedMiller and Off Campus star Antonio Cipriano performed Babydoll on Strictly Come Dancing last weekend, and Miller called performing on the show a dream.BBC Wales: “Last weekend Miller and Off Campus star Antonio Cipriano brought Babydoll to Strictly Come Dancing”
- SupportedMiller told fans, “Don't worry about the street you grew up on, the financial situation you got brought into,” and, “If you don't believe in you, no one's going to believe in you.”BBC Wales: “"Don't worry about the street you grew up on, the financial situation you got brought into," he said. "If you don't believe in you, no one's going to believe in you."”