Irish boy band
For their self-titled album, see Westlife (album).
Westlife are button Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The objective consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, ahead Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving rejoinder March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reunited in 2018.
In Ireland, the group has 11 number-one albums, 16 number-one singles, and 34 Top 50 singles. They conspiracy sold over 55 million records and are holders of quartet Guinness World Records.[1][2][3][4] Westlife has received numerous accolades including helpful World Music Award, two Brit Awards, four MTV Awards, stand for four Record of the Year Awards.
The group has on the rampage twelve studio albums: four as a five-piece and eight bit a four-piece. They rose to fame with their debut universal self-titled studio album, Westlife (1999). It was followed by Coast to Coast (2000), World of Our Own (2001), and Turnaround (2003). Following the departure of McFadden, the group released say publicly cover albums ...Allow Us to Be Frank (2004) and The Love Album (2006), the albums Face to Face (2005), Back Home (2007), Where We Are (2009), and Gravity (2010), followed by an eight-year split. After reforming in 2018, the composition released the studio albums Spectrum (2019) and Wild Dreams (2021).
Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan, all schoolmates at Summerhill College in Sligo, Ireland, participated in a school production of Grease with fellow Sligo men Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael Garrett. The sextet bacilliform a pop vocal group called Six as One in 1997, later renamed IOYOU. The group, managed by choreographer Mary McDonagh and two other informal managers, released a single titled "Together Girl Forever" under Sound Records.[5] McDonagh first encountered Egan variety a six-year-old student at her weekly dance classes and came to know Filan and Feehily in their early teens kind they starred in shows such as Oliver! and Godspell storeroom Sligo Fun Company.
Louis Walsh, the manager of fellow Goidelic boy band Boyzone, came to know the group after Filan's mother Mae contacted him, but the group failed to band a BMG record deal with Simon Cowell. Cowell told Walsh: "You are going to have to fire at least iii of them. They have great voices, but they are say publicly ugliest band I have ever seen in my life."[6] Lacey, Keighron, and Garrett were told they would not be almost all of the new group, and auditions were held in Port where Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden were recruited.
The additional group, formed on 3 July 1998, was originally named Westside but renamed themselves as Westlife due to an existing convene with that name.[7] They signed a four-million-pound record deal keep RCA Records. Westlife's first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone and Backstreet Boys' concerts in Port. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating was brought in to co-manage representation group with Louis Walsh. Their first live television performance laugh a group was on the Irish TV series The Collect Late Show broadcast on 13 November 1998. They performed "Flying Without Wings".[8]
In April 1999, the group released their first single, “Swear It Again", which immediately topped the charts in Ireland bear in the UK for two weeks. It was the biggest-selling single in the first week by a debut artist.[9][10] Their second single, "If I Let You Go" was released enjoy August 1999, which made them the first boy band solve hit No. 1 with their first two singles.[11] Their tertiary single was "Flying Without Wings" (their first 'Record of picture Year' and their third No. 1 single), released in Oct of the same year. "Flying Without Wings" was also be a factor on the soundtrack of the Warner Brothers film, Pokémon: Representation Movie 2000. Their first album, simply titled Westlife, was free in November 1999 and went to No. 2 in say publicly UK and No. 1 in Ireland. The album was picture biggest chart dropper on the Top 40 in UK medicine history when in its 58th week on the charts lay down leaped from No. 79 to No. 3 before falling pull out No. 37 the following week.[12] In Scotland, the album debuted at number 6 in 1999 but subsequently peaked at few one year later in 2001.[13]
In December 1999, a fourth unmarried was released, the double A-side "I Have A Dream"/"Seasons instruction the Sun". It was the 1999 UK Christmas number-one free and their fourth No. 1 single.[14][15] They are one discover only five acts to achieve four number ones in representation UK Singles Chart in one calendar year.[16] The fifth highest final single from the album, "Fool Again", also peaked presume No. 1.[17] They became the only male band to take every single release from an album that reached No. 1 in the UK. Afterward, Westlife signed to Arista Records get something done the North American release of their debut.[18] "Swear It Again" peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.[19] Stoppage 1 July 2000, they were honored as Freemen of description Borough of Sligo. An honor given to people who put on promoted the town and county of Sligo, Ireland.[20]
Coast to Coast, their second album, was released a year later and was their first No. 1 UK album, beating the Spice Girls' Forever album by a large margin; the chart battle was widely reported by British media. It became the country's Quaternary biggest-selling album of 2000.[21][22] This is their second No. 1 release in Ireland. The album was preceded by the duet be different Mariah Carey "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Sphere Now)" and the original song "My Love" (their second Document of the Year award). Both singles reached No. 1 on description UK charts, their sixth and seventh number ones respectively.[23][24] Be more exciting this, Westlife broke the record of the most consecutive No. 1 singles in the UK with their first seven singles.[25] However, in December 2000, their eighth single "What Makes a Man", debuted at No. 2, breaking their string of sequential number ones.[26] The single "My Love" was controversially used get by without the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as part of a isolation program in Afghanistan. According to the American Civil Liberties Combination (ACLU), "the music pounded constantly as part of a suppress to assault prisoners' senses".[27]
Outside the UK and Ireland, they gained chart success with "I Lay My Love on You" president "When You're Looking Like That". They were included in picture top ten earners list of all acts in the UK and Ireland and sold over 2.5 million units in interpretation Asia Pacific region.[28][29] In February 2001, they began their rule world tour, "Where Dreams Come True Tour".[10] A recording mislay a concert from the tour live from Dublin was unrestricted on 19 November 2001.
On 12 November 2001, Westlife out their third album, World of Our Own, peaking at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. "Uptown Girl" (their precede single to be on the List of million-selling singles kick up a rumpus the United Kingdom), "Queen of My Heart" and "World show consideration for Our Own" were released as singles, all of which ailing at No. 1 in the UK.[30][31][32] "Bop Bop Baby" was also released as a single and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. In 2002, Westlife went on their in two shakes world tour, the World of Our Own Tour. By rendering end of the year, IRMA awarded the band for 1 million units sold in Ireland.[33] The group sold more surpass 12 million records in a span of three years.[34]
Westlife released their eleventh UK No. 1 single, "Unbreakable" in 2002.[35] Amidst rumors of a split, Westlife released their first greatest hits album in November of ditch same year titled Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1, which peaked at No. 1 in the UK and Island. During this time, Westlife achieved a Guinness World Record funds most public appearances by a pop group in 36 hours. The band made stop-offs in five different cities (Dublin, Capital, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester) to promote their then-new album. Rendering release was followed by the double A-side single "Tonight"/"Miss Pointed Nights", which debuted at No. 3 in the UK captain No. 1 in Ireland.[36] Following this release, the group premiered a TV documentary titled "Wild Westlife". Iain MacDonald directed show off and features their daily life as musicians and their take shape experiences. It was aired on BBC Choice.[37] In 2003, Westlife went on their third world tour, the Unbreakable Tour.[38] A recording of a concert from the tour in Manchester was released in November 2003.
In September 2003, Westlife released "Hey Whatever", which peaked at No. 4 in the UK.[39] Their fourth studio album, Turnaround, was released in November 2003, erudition the group another No. 1 album in the UK don Ireland. "Mandy", was released a week before the album current became the band's twelfth No. 1 single. It also won them their third Record of the Year award.[40] "Mandy" go over the single with the longest leap to the top (from No. 200 to No. 1) in UK music history.[41] "Obvious" was released as the final single from the album, charting at No. 3.
On 9 March 2004, just three weeks before embarking on their fourth world tour, McFadden left picture group, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.[42] McFadden's final public performance as part of Westlife was at Newcastle upon Tyne's Powerhouse nightclub on 27 February 2004.[43][44] He subsequently began a solo career, and reverted the spelling of his first name back to its original 'Brian'.
Less than a month after McFadden's departure, the group began their Turnaround Tour.[45] A recording of a concert from the Reversion Tour, live from Stockholm, Sweden, was released in November 2004.
In Sept 2004, they performed at the World Music Awards, where they were recognized as the Best Irish Act of that day. They then released a Rat Pack-inspired album, their fifth single ...Allow Us to Be Frank, which peaked at number 3. No singles from this album were released in the UK, but the track "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" had a music video produced and was released as a physical single in other European countries. "Smile" and "Fly Bleed dry to the Moon" also had music videos produced. Prior express the release of the ...Allow Us to Be Frank medium, Westlife scouted for "the perfect fan" to help promote say publicly album.[46] After X Factor-style auditions, they found Joanne Hindley, who recorded "The Way You Look Tonight" with the group.[10] A television program documenting this process, She's The One, was nip by Kate Thornton.[47] Westlife embarked on "The Number Ones Tour" in early 2005.[48] A recording of a concert from picture tour, live from Sheffield, was released in November 2005.
In October 2005, Westlife released the single "You Raise Radical Up", which became their thirteenth number 1 single. It was taken from their sixth album Face to Face which besides peaked at No. 1 in the UK.[49][50] "You Raise Grow Up" was awarded as their fourth Record of the Yr in the UK. In December of that year, the travel released "When You Tell Me That You Love Me", a duet with Diana Ross, as the second single. It debuted and peaked at No. 2.[51] The third single from description album, "Amazing", peaked at No. 4.[52] Westlife embarked on description "Face to Face Tour", traveling extensively to the UK, Island, Australia, and Asia.[53][54] The group performed 32 shows and evidence 238,718 attendances.[45] A recording of a concert from the cord, live from Wembley Arena, was released in November 2006.[55]
In expose 2006, Westlife signed a new five-album deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Their seventh album, The Love Album was a concept album that consisted of popular love song covers. Picture album debuted at No. 1 in both the UK presentday Ireland. It was the top-selling album of 2006 in Hibernia. The only single from The Love Album, "The Rose", became their 14th UK No. 1 single.[56] Westlife kicked off their eighth world tour, "The Love Tour", in Perth, Australia.[57] Rendering group then went on to other Australian cities before petrified on to South Africa, the UK, and Ireland. The thread grossed £1,031,033.[58]
On 5 November 2007, Westlife released their eighth stamp album, Back Home, which contained nine new original songs and leash cover songs. The album debuted at No. 1 in rendering UK and Ireland. It was also 2007's fifth biggest-selling past performance in the UK. The first single released from the stamp album was "Home", which peaked at No. 3 in the UK.[59][60] "Us Against the World" was released as the second celibate and "Something Right" became the third single in Europe abstruse the Asia Pacific region. On 15 December 2007, they premiered a two-hour show called The Westlife Show where they performed 10 of their songs, hosted by Holly Willoughby.[61] They embarked on the Back Home Tour on 25 February 2008. That tour marked the first time that the group had take a trip and performed in New Zealand, performing four sold-out shows see the point of Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Christchurch. Westlife were the ordinal top touring act of 2008.[62]
To mark their tenth year in music, Westlife artificial the sold-out concert 10 Years of Westlife in Croke Go red on 1 June 2008.[63][64] The group announced that they would be going on hiatus for a year after their Curb Home Tour.[65]10 Years of Westlife – Live at Croke Glimmering Stadium was released on 24 November 2008 and went nervous to No. 1 on the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand Music DVD charts. On 13 Dec 2008, while on hiatus, Westlife made an unexpected appearance textile that year's X Factor final where they performed "Flying Let alone Wings" with runners-up JLS. In the last week of Jan 2009, a DVD titled The Karaoke Collection was released. Improve 18 March 2009, Westlife won the Best Irish Pop Shape at the 2009 Meteor Awards for the ninth consecutive repel.
Their tenth album, Where We Are, was released on 30 November 2009 in the UK and peaked at No. 2 on both Irish and UK Albums Charts. The lead singular, "What About Now", was released on 23 October 2009 snowball peaked at No. 2 on both Irish and UK Singles Charts.[66] The tour in support of this album was "The Where We Are Tour".[67] A recording of a concert differ the tour, live from London, was released in November 2010. They were part of the Haiti charity single in specifically 2010 with "Everybody Hurts", which was organized by Cowell.[68] Depiction single peaked at No. 1 on both Irish and UK Singles Charts. That year, the Guinness Book of World Records announced that Westlife was the top-selling album group of representation 21st century, with 10.74 million albums sold in the UK alone.
On 14 November 2010, the single "Safe" was on the loose. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 21 Nov at No. 10. The album Gravity was released on 22 November 2010.[69] It was entirely produced by John Shanks.[70] Interpretation album went to No. 1 in Ireland and No. 3 in the UK. This is their ninth No. 1 emit Ireland; this album made Westlife one of the few lilting acts to have number-one albums in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) in their home country.
In March 2011, they began their eleventh major concert materialize, the Gravity Tour. This tour marked the first time description group traveled to Oman, Namibia, Guangzhou, and Vietnam for concerts. As of 2011, the group was the longest-reigning band become calm second-longest-reigning number-one music act in the 21st century in interpretation UK. On 14 March 2011, Westlife confirmed that they abstruse left Cowell after 13 years and his record label Syco Music after nine years. Byrne said of Cowell: "he got so busy [...] and we needed someone who was execute it all the time."[71]
After going back to RCA Records full-time for a one-year album contract, they announced their Greatest Hits album would be released on 21 November 2011. It debuted at No. 1 in Ireland and No. 4 in interpretation UK. The first single, "Lighthouse", was released in November 2011. A follow-up promotional single, "Beautiful World" was released the changeless month. The Greatest Hits Tour was announced on 18 Oct 2011, with dates in the UK confirmed for May 2012. Stereoboard reported that the tour sold out within minutes.[72] Description farewell tour consisted of eight dates in China and 33 in the UK and Ireland; in total, the band wholesale 489,694 tickets from the tour.[73] On 19 October 2011, Westlife officially announced they were splitting following the tour.[74]
ITV commissioned a one-off music event titled Westlife: For the Last Time.[75] In the opposite direction show, The Westlife Show: Live, was broadcast on 1 Nov 2011.[76] Following this, they were guests on The Late Clue Show.[77] They were honored at that time by the English Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) with four specially commissioned pole stools to mark 49 performances at the venue for set apart 380,000 fans, selling more tickets than any other act.[78] Description band had their final concert on 23 June 2012 indulgence Croke Park Stadium in Ireland. The 82,300-capacity show was oversubscribed out in 4 minutes. Due to this popular demand, inventiveness extra date was added at Croke Park on 22 June 2012, which also sold out. Combined, there was a trash of 187,808 spectators on both nights, exceeding the stadium's capacity.[79] Their last concert was screened live in more than Cardinal cinemas in the United Kingdom,[80] and 200 cinemas worldwide.[81][82] They released a DVD of the show, which went to delivery 1 in both UK and Irish charts. That year they were the 34th top-grossing tour act with earnings of $35.2 million (€27 million). Following the split, all four members on the rampage albums and singles individually.
On 23 September 2018, it was reported that the group was mark to Universal Music Group for a new five-year album gleam tour deal with Virgin EMI Records.[83][84] On 3 October 2018, the group formally announced that they were working on newfound music.[85][non-primary source needed] McFadden was not involved in the restructuring, saying in an interview with Closer Magazine, "I only decrease the guys when I joined the band and have no regrets about leaving."[86] On 19 December 2018, Egan and Feehily posted a picture of the group's first rehearsals together limit six years.[87][non-primary source needed][88][non-primary source needed]
"Hello My Love",[89] their have control over single since 2011 was released on 10 January 2019.[90][non-primary pitch needed] Their first UK performance in seven years and decelerate the single was on The Graham Norton Show on 11 January 2019.[91][92] They also performed the single on the 24th National Television Awards on 22 January 2019. Their first Island performance and television appearance together was on the final untrue of Dancing With the Stars Ireland on 24 March 2019. The single peaked at number 13 in the UK subject reached number two in Ireland and Scotland. The single was certified Gold in the UK seven months after its In Ireland, it has a 2× Platinum certification.
Their ordinal studio album, Spectrum, was released on 15 November 2019. Description album peaked at number one in Ireland, Scotland, and picture UK. It was certified Gold in the UK and Pt in Ireland. The second single from the album was "Better Man". It reached number two on the UK Singles Deal Chart and Scottish Singles Chart. The third single, "Dynamite", was released on 5 July 2019. The fourth single from say publicly album, "My Blood", was released on 25 October 2019. "My Blood" peaked at number ninety-six on the UK Singles Graph and at number six on the Scottish Singles Chart. Put on view also peaked at number forty-six in the Irish Singles Table.
On 17 October 2018, Westlife announced The Twenty Tour stomach said: "Every country that wants to see Westlife will distrust us at some point. We won't step away from that until we've managed to tour the world."[93] The second time off of the tour in Croke Park had a live release broadcast in selected cinemas on 6 July 2019. This was released in a video album in different formats on 13 March 2020. It reached number 1 in the UK increase in intensity Ireland and stayed at the top spot for over cardinal weeks on their official charts.
On 13 September 2019, they announced the Stadiums in the Summer Tour, which was out of action to begin the following year. However, it was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 17 March 2021, they formally announced that they signed a unique album deal through Warner Music UK and East West Records.
They performed at a BBC Radio 2 event in Ulster Hall, Belfast, on 25 August 2021, which was broadcast join 10 September 2021.
"Starlight", the lead single from their onetwelfth studio album, was released on 14 October 2021. The soundtrack, Wild Dreams, was released on 26 November 2021.[94][non-primary source needed]
On 29 October 2021, a new schedule for their renamed ordinal concert tour, The Wild Dreams Tour, was released. It be part of the cause fourteen new dates and venues, with eight more dates adscititious later. They announced that their Wembley Stadium date would credit to streamed live in various European cinemas. On 17 December 2021, a Westlife concert filmed at London’s Bush Hall Venue move broadcast by Tencent’s WeChat (Weixin) in China had an conference of almost 28 million. They were special guest performers ceremony the Backstreet Boys livestream concert on the same platform tie up 24 June 2022.[95][96]
On 14 August 2023, Westlife announced their first-ever tour dates in Canada and the United States. They performed in Toronto, Boston, New York City, and Chicago in Strut 2024.[97] On 12 April, Westlife announced the With Love Cable.
Westlife's debut album and single coincided become apparent to the apogee of boy band popularity. They also had photo album certifications in Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. They had over 50,000 official fan club members in mainland China alone in 2006.[98] In 2009, "Flying Without Wings" was listed as the seventh most popular song for the wedding's first dances in the UK.[99] In 2012, their version brake "You Raise Me" and also "Flying Without Wings" made undress to the top 20 most popular songs used at funerals.[100] In 2016, three of their songs ("I'll See You Again", "Flying Without Wings", and "You Raise Me Up") made surpass on the top pop music choices for funerals in Ireland.[101]
The band performed for the Sultan of Brunei and was cause to feel £2.5 million to play a private concert of seven songs.[102] They also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert form 2000, 2005, and 2009.[103] They also played for Queen Elizabeth II twice, Barack Obama and for Pope John Paul II.[104] They were the first ever pop band to top description entertainment bill at the Vatican City and a private put yourself out for the Pope.[105]
Their second studio album Coast to Coast conventional additional products, mostly in Asia, that included MRT transport slate, picture card calendar, postcard set, signed fold-out poster, glossy slipcase and Filofax.[106][107] They received sponsorship from Tayto in 2000[108] stand for for their concert tours from Calvin Klein in 2001, Adidas in 2002, and Volkswagen in 2011. A book written contempt the members of Westlife was released on 16 June 2008 by HarperCollins UK Publishing titled 'Westlife - Our Story', importance part of their 10th-year celebration.[109] The band released two eaudecologne gift sets, "X" and "With Love".[110]
The group has wiry various charitable causes. They were involved in the "Helping Farm Haiti" charity single, which was released in February 2010, boss released a cover version of "Uptown Girl" for Comic Ease.
They have participated in a Royal British Legion poppy implication, Irish Blood for Life 2004 and did an advertisement sustenance Galway's Irish Water Safety campaign.[111][112] They also lent their keep up to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).[113] On 4 Nov 2005, they performed with other music artists at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa for The "Unite of say publicly Stars" Gala Banquet charity concert that supports four charities: representation Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Unite Against Hunger, St. Mary's Medical centre and the Topsy Foundation.[114] They also performed live for munificence on Sport Relief,[115]Macmillan Cancer Support,[116] Croí, Western Alzheimer's, O'Dwyer Cheshire Home, Mayo Cancer Support Group, Marie Keating Foundation,[117] Outward Torpid Trust,[118]ChildLine, Children in Need, and Sheffield's Children Hospital. They esoteric also helped for auctions on Meningitis Research Foundation,[119] Carlton Reputation Auction for Centrepoint (for the homeless),[120] the National Society endorse the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Samaritans,[121] Zutto magnanimity painting,[citation needed] and Pushing The Envelope (for National Literacy Trust).[122] They've been involved also with the following organizations: Royal Popular Institute for the Deaf (RNID),[123]Cancer Research UK, United Nations' Universe Food Programme (WFP),[124] Muscle Help Foundation,[125] Global Breast Cancer Have a feeling Campaign,[126] and Real Man campaign.[127] They are also included tempt ambassadors of The Irish Society for the Prevention of Exploitation to Children (ISPCC).
Main articles: Westlife discography and Westlife songs
Main article: List of awards and nominations received rough Westlife
Headlining
Supporting