Songfacts®:

• Wyn Starks calls "Who I Am" his "diary song." It recalls his journey to accepting and loving his true self, no longer trying to hide like he did growing up on the North Side in Minneapolis.
  
  "I grew up in church, I'm queer, and I had a high voice when I was young, so I got made fun of a lot and went through a lot of self-discovery," told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "I put on a mask and tried to be somebody else to avoid the hate. Now, though, I embrace all of it."
• Starks, signed to Curb Records in Nashville, released the song on an EP of the same name in 2020 and included it on his debut album, Black Is Golden, in 2021. But most of us heard it for the first time in 2022 when he performed it on America's Got Talent, where he wowed the judges and the audience with the song. He dedicated the song to his twin brother Caine, who died a year earlier and loved the song.
  
  After the performance, the song got millions of streams and gave Starks' career a big boost.
• Starks moved to Nashville in 2017 and released his first single, "Circles," in 2019. He worked at a hotel to pay the bills, but when COVID hit in 2020, he was out of a job. This let him pursue music full time, allowing him to make "Who I Am" along with the rest of his first album, Black Is Golden.
• Starks wrote "Who I Am" during a session with two other songwriter/musicians: Josh Bronleewe and Vanessa Campagna. He was friends with Bronleewe but met Campagna for the first time at the session. "That day in our session, Wyn poured his heart out to us and by the end of the day, we had the story of his life on record," Campagna posted on social media.
• "Who I Am" plays a huge role in the 2024 Celine Dion documentary I Am: Celine Dion, where she describes her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a devastating neurological disorder. Early in the film, she explains that she didn't "become" Celine Dion, she was always her, and her stage presence is a reflection of herself, not a fabrication. The "I Am" title in the movie signifies this idea and ties in with the song "Who I Am," which she sings along to at the end of the film after suffering a frightening seizure. We learn that the song is what she plays the end of every therapy session to help her find strength and motivation. "What a song," she says.
  
  For Wyn Starks and his co-writer Vanessa Campagna, it was thrilling to learn that Dion thinks so highly of their song. "It's such a full circle moment," Starks said. "Celine Dion has been such an inspiration to me, and her music has helped me get through so many obstacles in my life. Seeing her belt out 'Who I Am' with such strength and resilience in spite of everything she's going through will be a moment I'll never forget."
  
  "It's wild how much weight a little 3 minute song can carry," Campagna added. "It's therapy, comfort, inspiration and so much more for all of us. I know that's what your songs have been and still are for me. Thank you for continuing to inspire us all."