William Singe traveled across the world to welcome WKU to a new semester.

WKU freshman orientation, M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan, ended not with a speech and wishes of good luck, but with strobe lights and the 2012 “The X Factor Australia” third place finalist.

William Singe, an accomplished hip-hop artist and ex-member of Australian boy band “The Collective”, performed at Diddle Arena on Thursday, Aug. 17.

Despite an audience comprised largely of incoming freshmen, which struggled to fill even half of Diddle’s tarped gym floor, Singe covered an assortment of popular rap and R&B hits and gave everyone the chance to sing along.

With pink, green and yellow lights glittering to the ceiling, Singe entered the stage to an eruption of cheers and class of 2021 excitement. From the moment the turntables behind him dropped the first beat, Singe electrified the crowd with Usher-like vocals and dance moves well into Thursday night.

As opposed to performing original songs, Singe opted to sing a variety from the ’90s to today. Some highlights included a slowed down version of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” and a crowd-pleasing cover of The Chainsmoker’s “Closer.”

In between multitudes of mixed and mashed EDM singles, Singe made an effort to express his gratitude to the crowd.

“I came from the other side of the world to play this show,” Singe said in his applause-inducing Australian accent.

He spoke about how much he appreciated the opportunity to perform for the students of WKU, and he encouraged everyone to enjoy the show and spread positivity among one another.

Given the serious and informative tone of M.A.S.T.E.R. plan, students responded well to Singe’s urging to finally wind down and have fun.

Freshman Susana Caito enjoyed the opportunity to decompress after a week of scheduling and advice, although she had never heard about William Singe prior to his performance at WKU.

“It was still fun,” she said as she smiled and stood beside her fellow freshman friend, Hayden Welty, who has subscribed to Singe’s social media accounts and listened to his music for years.

Welty remarked upon how exciting it was to finally see Singe perform in person after knowing of his artistry for so long.

“It was cool to see him in person and see all his renditions live,” she said.

Though many others may not have been introduced to Singe before his concert in Diddle, the deafening cheers and chanted lyrics from almost everyone in attendance would seem to say otherwise.

The fall semester had not even started yet, and most people at the show were fresh off all day sessions and group activities, but Singe used his soaring falsetto in the best way he could.

Singe treated the students of WKU to an hour of fun and camaraderie, and kicked off the new school year with a party.