Mike Williams

Mike Willemsen, known professionally as Mike Williams, was born on November 27, 1996, in Drunen, North Brabant, Netherlands. His musical journey began at the age of six with piano lessons. Demonstrating an early inclination for musical creativity, he soon shifted from sight-reading to composing his own melodies. By age 12, he had learned DJing and produced his first dance track, culminating in his first club performance for 500 people at just 14. This early start marked the beginning of a rapid ascent in the electronic dance music scene, leading to regular bookings for performances. Williams initially gained traction by releasing popular remixes and bootlegs, including a remix of Calvin Harris’s “Blame” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “I Really Like You,” which garnered over 3 million plays on SoundCloud. These remixes caught the attention of prominent DJs like Oliver Heldens and laid the groundwork for his official entry into the industry.

His career advanced significantly with the release of original music, starting with “Konnichiwa” in January 2015, followed by collaborations such as “Candy” with Dastic. Williams’ work soon attracted major labels, leading to his signing with Spinnin’ Records. He was notably mentored by Tiësto, who recognized him as an “artist of the future.” In February 2016, Williams released “Sweet & Sour” through Tiësto’s Musical Freedom label, which reached number 6 on the Beatport Top 100. This period saw him collaborating with artists like Justin Mylo on “Groovy George” and Tiësto on “I Want You,” a track that accumulated over 16 million plays. He made his debut performances at major festivals such as Mysteryland in 2016 and the Amsterdam Dance Event. In January 2017, he launched his radio show, “Mike Williams on Track,” on SLAM! radio, further cementing his presence in the dance music landscape.

Throughout 2017 and 2018, Williams continued to release a steady stream of singles and collaborations, including “Another Night” featuring Matluck and “Don’t Hurt” with Brēzy. A significant milestone was his collaboration with Felix Jaehn on “Feel Good,” which charted in the top 50 on Apple Music dance charts. He also teamed up with R3HAB for the single “Lullaby.” His consistent output and growing popularity earned him a spot in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll, ranking 60th in 2017 and 66th in 2018. Despite a temporary hiatus in 2021 due to pressure and stress, Williams returned in 2022 with his album “Storylines” and launched his own Storylines label, featuring tracks like “Alice” with Joe Jury. His career highlights in 2024 include performances at Ushuaïa Ibiza and Tomorrowland, demonstrating his enduring influence in the global electronic music scene and surpassing one billion streams on Spotify.