Post by LaLaFilan on Aug 15, 2008 8:13:00 GMT 8
has anyone already post this?
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Westlife bounces back on the scene
By Giovanni Paolo J. Yazon
Westlife has been a phenomenal success for the last seven years. The Irish boy group has sold 35 million albums worldwide, with six multiplatinum albums in the United Kingdom, and 12 no. 1 singles. It has also won countless awards—including two Brits, an MTV Europe Award and a Guinness World Record as “the boy group with five consecutive no. 1s,” edging the Beatles, Take That, and Boyzone.
After a brief interlude with their Rat Pack record of classic songs sung in the style of Frank Sinatra, Allow Us To Be Frank, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne has bounced back with a new album, Face To Face.
The album, to be released here in the Philippines on Oct. 24, features a cover of Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up.”
“I think it’ll become a favorite in weddings, just like our first ever single, ‘Swear It Again.’ Aside from our voices, it also highlights a full romantic masterpiece of string instruments, celestial choir, and bagpipes. It’s really an incredible song!” described Nicky, in a phone interview with Manila Standard Today.
“We also collaborated with Diana Ross to ‘revitalize’ her hit song ‘When You Tell Me That You Love Me’,” he added. This is the second time the Irish boyband worked with a “diva,” the first one being Mariah Carey in 2001, via the chart-topper “Against All Odds.” “Mariah is a pop diva. But Diana, for me, is a legendary diva!”
Other tracks include “Amazing,” “Colour My World,” “She’s Back,” “Heart Without A Home,” “That’s Where You Find Love,” “Desperado,” “In This Life,” “Hit You With The Real Thing,” “Change Your Mind,” and “Maybe Tomorrow.”
“Our previous album didn’t do well in the charts, maybe because our fans didn’t like us singing ‘different music’ that their parents and grandparents grew up with,” he laughed.
“Fantastic” was how Nicky could describe their seventh album. “It took us a year and a half to finish Face To Face because we wanted to give our fans something that could play our strengths—passionate vocals and memorable tunes—that they would truly love.”
His favorite track in the album is “Hit You With The Real Thing.” “Aside from I sang a lot of lines in this song, it’s full of energy, just like ‘When You’re Looking Like That’ of our Coast To Coast album,” he revealed.
Give me a break!
For them, every album is “a symbol of (their) survival” on the music scene. They look at themselves not as the best, but just one of the luckiest boybands in the world. “We’ve been blessed to touch people’s lives through our songs. That’s why we’ve always maintained that music is more important than material rewards,” he added.
Westlife recently had their four-month holiday—the longest break they had in their entire career. “The break did us good. It gave us more time to recharge our batteries. I traveled with my wife Georgina (Ahern) to the coast of Italy, to Florida where we stayed there for four weeks and in New York for two weeks. I took up a crash course in acting at the New York Film Academy. You see, I want to try different fields in my life, and this is just part of it. I want to become an actor someday.” He spent his remaining days getting shape in the gym.
He still keeps in touch with former band mate Bryan McFadden.
“We talked over the phone two weeks ago. He is currently in the United States trying his luck. We tried to penetrate US as a group, but failed. Now that he’s on his own, I wish he could make it this time,” he sighed.
The fashionista
If Nicky is not the most handsome, he is undoubtedly the “most stylish” among the members of Westlife. If Shane is the worst-dresser, he is the opposite.
“I love clothes and I am a certified shopaholic,” he revealed.
He splurges most of his money on clothes. “Everyone thinks that I only wear designer clothes but I also have a lot of ‘high-street stuff’ too! It doesn’t matter how much an item costs as long as I can carry it off well.”
His favorite item of clothing is his most embarrassing as well —a yellow leather pants!
On Mark’s homosexuality
Mark was a heartthrob admired by millions of fans around the world and last August, he did a Stephen Gately of Boyzone, by admitting publicly that he’s gay and is dating Kevin McDaid, who used to be in boyband V.
Mark “never lied” to his band mates about his sexuality!
“We knew it from the start that he’s gay! But it wasn’t an issue to us. I believe that homosexuality is just a matter of gender preference, and that we shouldn’t judge Mark or any other person based on his beliefs, race, culture, and even gender. Mark is ‘happy’, and so we’re also happy for him.”
But did Mark get attracted to them or to him?
Nicky laughed and said: “No, because I treat him like a younger brother.”
Asian Tour: Manila 2006
Manila will always have a “soft spot” in Nicky’s heart. “How will I ever forget your country, I sang off-key during our first concert there,” he laughed.
“I’m dreaming to go back in Asia again especially in the Philippines. The Filipinos are more warm and hospitable. And I also like the food especially this meat with a mixture of black salty (soy) sauce and oil that’s a bit spicy.” He was actually referring to our adobo.
Heard it straight from him: “We will be having our Asian Tour in Spring (April or May) next year – and we might film our upcoming DVD there (in the Philippines), so watch out for us!”
And for the nth time, Nicky denied the rumors that Westlife will be singing goodbye very soon.
“The music trend may have already shifted to R&B and hip-hop, but there are people who will always listen and crave for pop (boy band) music. So we’re here to stay. Our new album is a new chapter and the story of Westlife is far from over,” he concluded.
__________________________________________________
Westlife bounces back on the scene
By Giovanni Paolo J. Yazon
Westlife has been a phenomenal success for the last seven years. The Irish boy group has sold 35 million albums worldwide, with six multiplatinum albums in the United Kingdom, and 12 no. 1 singles. It has also won countless awards—including two Brits, an MTV Europe Award and a Guinness World Record as “the boy group with five consecutive no. 1s,” edging the Beatles, Take That, and Boyzone.
After a brief interlude with their Rat Pack record of classic songs sung in the style of Frank Sinatra, Allow Us To Be Frank, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne has bounced back with a new album, Face To Face.
The album, to be released here in the Philippines on Oct. 24, features a cover of Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up.”
“I think it’ll become a favorite in weddings, just like our first ever single, ‘Swear It Again.’ Aside from our voices, it also highlights a full romantic masterpiece of string instruments, celestial choir, and bagpipes. It’s really an incredible song!” described Nicky, in a phone interview with Manila Standard Today.
“We also collaborated with Diana Ross to ‘revitalize’ her hit song ‘When You Tell Me That You Love Me’,” he added. This is the second time the Irish boyband worked with a “diva,” the first one being Mariah Carey in 2001, via the chart-topper “Against All Odds.” “Mariah is a pop diva. But Diana, for me, is a legendary diva!”
Other tracks include “Amazing,” “Colour My World,” “She’s Back,” “Heart Without A Home,” “That’s Where You Find Love,” “Desperado,” “In This Life,” “Hit You With The Real Thing,” “Change Your Mind,” and “Maybe Tomorrow.”
“Our previous album didn’t do well in the charts, maybe because our fans didn’t like us singing ‘different music’ that their parents and grandparents grew up with,” he laughed.
“Fantastic” was how Nicky could describe their seventh album. “It took us a year and a half to finish Face To Face because we wanted to give our fans something that could play our strengths—passionate vocals and memorable tunes—that they would truly love.”
His favorite track in the album is “Hit You With The Real Thing.” “Aside from I sang a lot of lines in this song, it’s full of energy, just like ‘When You’re Looking Like That’ of our Coast To Coast album,” he revealed.
Give me a break!
For them, every album is “a symbol of (their) survival” on the music scene. They look at themselves not as the best, but just one of the luckiest boybands in the world. “We’ve been blessed to touch people’s lives through our songs. That’s why we’ve always maintained that music is more important than material rewards,” he added.
Westlife recently had their four-month holiday—the longest break they had in their entire career. “The break did us good. It gave us more time to recharge our batteries. I traveled with my wife Georgina (Ahern) to the coast of Italy, to Florida where we stayed there for four weeks and in New York for two weeks. I took up a crash course in acting at the New York Film Academy. You see, I want to try different fields in my life, and this is just part of it. I want to become an actor someday.” He spent his remaining days getting shape in the gym.
He still keeps in touch with former band mate Bryan McFadden.
“We talked over the phone two weeks ago. He is currently in the United States trying his luck. We tried to penetrate US as a group, but failed. Now that he’s on his own, I wish he could make it this time,” he sighed.
The fashionista
If Nicky is not the most handsome, he is undoubtedly the “most stylish” among the members of Westlife. If Shane is the worst-dresser, he is the opposite.
“I love clothes and I am a certified shopaholic,” he revealed.
He splurges most of his money on clothes. “Everyone thinks that I only wear designer clothes but I also have a lot of ‘high-street stuff’ too! It doesn’t matter how much an item costs as long as I can carry it off well.”
His favorite item of clothing is his most embarrassing as well —a yellow leather pants!
On Mark’s homosexuality
Mark was a heartthrob admired by millions of fans around the world and last August, he did a Stephen Gately of Boyzone, by admitting publicly that he’s gay and is dating Kevin McDaid, who used to be in boyband V.
Mark “never lied” to his band mates about his sexuality!
“We knew it from the start that he’s gay! But it wasn’t an issue to us. I believe that homosexuality is just a matter of gender preference, and that we shouldn’t judge Mark or any other person based on his beliefs, race, culture, and even gender. Mark is ‘happy’, and so we’re also happy for him.”
But did Mark get attracted to them or to him?
Nicky laughed and said: “No, because I treat him like a younger brother.”
Asian Tour: Manila 2006
Manila will always have a “soft spot” in Nicky’s heart. “How will I ever forget your country, I sang off-key during our first concert there,” he laughed.
“I’m dreaming to go back in Asia again especially in the Philippines. The Filipinos are more warm and hospitable. And I also like the food especially this meat with a mixture of black salty (soy) sauce and oil that’s a bit spicy.” He was actually referring to our adobo.
Heard it straight from him: “We will be having our Asian Tour in Spring (April or May) next year – and we might film our upcoming DVD there (in the Philippines), so watch out for us!”
And for the nth time, Nicky denied the rumors that Westlife will be singing goodbye very soon.
“The music trend may have already shifted to R&B and hip-hop, but there are people who will always listen and crave for pop (boy band) music. So we’re here to stay. Our new album is a new chapter and the story of Westlife is far from over,” he concluded.