he dark day has finally come… Westlife are no more (well, almost). Many children of the nineties may shed a tear for the soon to be dearly departed from the pop world but let’s reflect on the fabulous times the ‘Loifers brought to us…
…Oh, by the way - there’s still a new Westlife single coming out. And an album. And a ruddy great tour next year an’ all (do you think Bryan will make a come back?) So fans still have time to indulge their love for love songs before the gents hang up their microphones forever.
Earlier this month the band announced they were taking a break for a couple of years but it was confirmed in an official statement today (October 19) that the remaining four members will part for good.
"After 14 years, 26 top ten hits including 14 number one singles, 11 top 5 albums, 7 of which hit the top spot and have collectively sold over 44 million copies around the world, 10 sell out tours and countless memories that we will forever cherish, we today announce our plan to go our separate ways after a greatest hits collection this Christmas and a farewell tour next year. The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures. We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time.
"Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are a family. We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too.
"We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us."
Kian, Mark, Nicky and Shane
Fond memories and things I’ll miss
- First and foremost: the stools!
- The getting up from the stools when reaching the dramatic key change in songs
- The emotional hand grab move
- Ballads galore
- Shane’s smouldering lead singer look
- Mark’s high notes
- The fact that Nicky always look liked a fit football player
- Kian and Brian’s dodgy blonde curtain hairstyles
- Putting your arms out when singing Flying Without Wings
- My Mum singing You Raise Me Up for hours on end - maybe I wont miss that…
The numbers
- When the band was formed in 1998 it was originally called Westside but had to change the name as another band had had that clever idea first
- Westlife sold over 44 million records worldwide
- Had 14 number one singles in the UK
- Were the only act in British and Irish history to have their first 7 singles peak at number one (an impressive run ruined by Bob the Builder)
- Clocked up 11 million album sales in the UK making them the biggest-selling band of the decade (and the second best-selling artist after Robbie Williams)
- Coast to Coast was the band’s best-selling album and the fourth biggest-selling of 2000 (it also beat a certain little group called the Spice Girls to the chart top spot)
- Performed at 10 sell out tours
- The band is worth millions – it was reported earlier this year that the profits of the band's firm grew five-fold in 2010
- You thought they took over the world but the Americans weren’t as keen as the rest of us – Swear It Again was their only ‘hit’ Stateside. It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard chart there.
- They spent 13 years under Simon Cowell and his Syco record label before moving to RCA
What’s left
November 13 – new single Lighthouse
November 13 – new Greatest Hits LP
May 2012 - UK arena tour
I know Westlife are technically a manband now but they started off as wee ‘uns. So who will the boyband balladeer crown be passed down to out of their whipper snapper counterparts?
The Wanted? One Direction? JLS?
No comments:
Post a Comment