Wyn Starks, the former America’s Got Talent contestant best known for his song “Who I Am,” has a holiday hit on his hands with his upbeat cover of “Pure Imagination,” from the classic film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. While it’s not generally considered a Christmas song, other artists have recorded it as one, so Wyn figured he’d put his own spin on it.
“I have such fond memories of the song, you know, watching Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory when I was a kid,” he tells ABC Audio. “For some reason, it always … gave me that holiday feel. And I’ve seen people do it before, like, they did more of a holiday rendition. I was like, ‘That would be a really cool approach,’ but approaching it in my way … something that could be for the holiday, but also be for any time.”
Wyn’s rendition is unique because it starts out slow and then becomes super-fast and jazzy. Wyn says the arrangement was his producer’s idea, and he loved it.
“It ended up turning out so beautifully,” he says. “I was just so happy to be able to share it especially because it brings back such nostalgia for me, the song.”
Wyn recalls “beautiful” Christmases of his childhood, which included watching Willy Wonka with his twin brother who, sadly, died five years ago.
“We always watched [the movie] during the holidays, even though it’s not a holiday movie. And that’s how I want the song to feel to people,” he explains, adding, “It feels very holiday-ish, because of the fantastical feeling you get hearing it.”
Wyn is planning to release a new album in early 2026.
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