Westlife
4ms
Westlife, an Irish pop phenomenon, burst onto the music scene in Dublin in 1998. The iconic quartet, comprised of Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Mark Feehily, has captivated audiences worldwide. Though Brian McFadden was an original member, he departed in 2004 to pursue a solo career. After a hiatus in 2012, Westlife triumphantly reunited in 2018, continuing their musical legacy.
In their native Ireland, Westlife's impact is undeniable. They boast an impressive 11 number-one albums, 16 number-one singles, and a staggering 304 Top 50 singles. Their record sales have surpassed 55 million, and they hold four Guinness World Records. Their talent has been recognized with numerous accolades, including a World Music Award, two Brit Awards, four MTV Awards, and four Record of the Year Awards.
Westlife's discography is rich, featuring twelve studio albums. Four were released as a five-piece, and eight as a four-piece. Their international breakthrough came with their self-titled debut album, "Westlife" in 1999, followed by "Coast to Coast" (2000), "World of Our Own" (2001), and "Turnaround" (2003). After McFadden's departure, they explored the cover album genre with "...Allow Us to Be Frank" (2004) and "The Love Album" (2006), alongside original works like "Face to Face" (2005), "Back Home" (2007), "Where We Are" (2009), and "Gravity" (2010). Following a six-year break, the reunited quartet released "Spectrum" (2019) and "Wild Dreams" (2021).
The genesis of Westlife began in 1997 with Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan, schoolmates at Summerhill College in Sligo, Ireland. They joined forces with fellow Sligo natives Derrick Lacey, Graham Keighron, and Michael Garrett to form Six as One, later renamed IOYOU. Managed by choreographer Mary McDonagh, they released a single titled "Together Girl Forever." McDonagh had a long-standing connection with Egan, having taught him dance from a young age, and she knew Filan and Feehily as talented young performers in local productions.
Louis Walsh, the manager of Boyzone, became aware of the group when Filan's mother reached out. However, their attempt to secure a record deal with Simon Cowell's BMG proved unsuccessful. Cowell famously advised Walsh to "fire at least three of them," citing their looks despite their vocal talents. Lacey, Keighron, and Garrett were subsequently cut, and auditions in Dublin led to the recruitment of Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden.
Formed on July 3, 1998, the new group was initially named Westside, but a name conflict prompted a change to Westlife. They secured a significant four-million-pound record deal with RCA Records. Their career took off in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone and the Backstreet Boys in Dublin. Ronan Keating of Boyzone joined Louis Walsh in managing the group. Their first live television performance as Westlife was on "The Late Late Show" in Ireland on November 13, 1998, where they performed "Flying Without Wings."
Westlife's debut single, "Swear It Again," released in April 1999, immediately soared to number one in Ireland and the UK for two weeks, becoming the best-selling debut single of the week. They made history as the first boy band to hit number one with their first two singles, "If I Let You Go" and "Flying Without Wings." The latter, released in October 1999, also featured on the soundtrack of "Pokémon: The Movie 2000." Their first album, "Westlife," released in November 1999, reached number two in the UK and number one in Ireland. It achieved a remarkable chart performance, making it the biggest chart dropper in UK music history.
In December 1999, the double A-side "I Have A Dream"/"Seasons in the Sun" became the UK Christmas number-one single and their fourth number one of the year, a feat achieved by only five acts in UK chart history. "Fool Again" was the final single from the album, also reaching number one, making Westlife the only male band to have every single from an album hit the top spot in the UK. They then signed with Arista Records for North American release, where "Swear It Again" peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. On July 1, 2000, they were honored as Freemen of the Borough of Sligo for their contributions to promoting the town and county.
"Coast to Coast," their second album, released in 2000, became their first UK number-one album, outselling the Spice Girls' "Forever." It was the fourth best-selling album of 2000 in the UK and their second number-one in Ireland. The album was preceded by the duet with Mariah Carey, "Against All Odds," and the original song "My Love," both reaching number one on the UK charts, marking their sixth and seventh number ones respectively. This extended their record of consecutive number-one singles to seven, though their eighth single, "What Makes a Man," broke the streak by debuting at number two. Tragically, "My Love" was controversially used by the CIA as part of a torture program in Afghanistan.
Beyond the UK and Ireland, Westlife found chart success with "I Lay My Love on You" and "When You're Looking Like That." They were recognized among the top earners in the UK and Ireland and achieved over 2.5 million units sold in the Asia Pacific region. In February 2001, they embarked on their first world tour, "Where Dreams Come True Tour." A live recording from this tour was released in November 2001.
Their third album, "World of Our Own," released on November 12, 2001, also peaked at number one in the UK and Ireland. Singles like "Uptown Girl," "Queen of My Heart," and "World of Our Own" all reached number one in the UK, with "Uptown Girl" becoming a million-selling single. "Bop Bop Baby" charted at number five. In 2002, Westlife embarked on their second world tour, the "World of Our Own Tour." By the end of the year, IRMA honored the band for selling one million units in Ireland, bringing their total record sales to over 12 million in three years.
In 2002, Westlife released their eleventh UK number-one single, "Unbreakable." Amidst rumors of a split, they released their first greatest hits album, "Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1," which topped the charts in the UK and Ireland. During this period, they set a Guinness World Record for the most public appearances by a pop group in 36 hours, visiting five cities to promote their new album. The album was followed by the double A-side single "Tonight"/"Miss You Nights," which reached number three in the UK and number one in Ireland. A documentary titled "Wild Westlife" chronicled their lives as musicians and tour experiences. In 2003, they undertook their third world tour, the "Unbreakable Tour," with a live concert recording released in November.
"Hey Whatever," released in September 2003, peaked at number four in the UK. Their fourth studio album, "Turnaround," released in November 2003, earned them another number-one album in the UK and Ireland. "Mandy," released a week prior, became their twelfth number-one single and won their third Record of the Year award, notable for its significant leap to the top of the charts. "Obvious" was the final single from the album, charting at number three.
On March 9, 2004, just weeks before their fourth world tour, Brian McFadden departed the group to spend more time with his family. His final performance was on February 27, 2004. He subsequently launched a solo career. Less than a month later, the group began their "Turnaround Tour," with a live recording released in November 2004.
In September 2004, Westlife performed at the World Music Awards, where they were recognized as the Best Irish Act. They then released "...Allow Us to Be Frank," a Rat Pack-inspired album that reached number three. While no singles were released in the UK, music videos were produced for "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?," "Smile," and "Fly Me to the Moon." Prior to the album's release, they held auditions for "the perfect fan" to collaborate on "The Way You Look Tonight," a process documented in the TV show "She's The One." In early 2005, Westlife embarked on "The Number Ones Tour," with a live recording released in November.
October 2005 saw the release of "You Raise Me Up," their thirteenth number-one single, from their sixth album "Face to Face," which also topped the UK charts. "You Raise Me Up" earned them their fourth Record of the Year award. In December, the duet with Diana Ross, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me," was released as the second single, peaking at number two. "Amazing" was the third single, reaching number four. The "Face to Face Tour" saw the group perform 32 shows across the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Asia, with an attendance of 238,718. A live recording from Wembley Arena was released in November 2006.
In late 2006, Westlife signed a new five-album deal with Sony BMG. Their seventh album, "The Love Album," a collection of love song covers, debuted at number one in both the UK and Ireland and was the top-selling album of 2006 in Ireland. The sole single from the album, "The Rose," became their fourteenth UK number-one single. They kicked off their eighth world tour, "The Love Tour," in Australia.
On November 5, 2007, Westlife released their eighth album, "Back Home," featuring original songs and covers. It debuted at number one in the UK and Ireland and was the fifth best-selling album of 2007 in the UK. The lead single, "Home," peaked at number three in the UK. "Us Against the World" and "Something Right" were released as subsequent singles. In December 2007, they premiered a two-hour show called "The Westlife Show." The "Back Home Tour" began in February 2008, marking their first performances in New Zealand. Westlife was recognized as the seventh top touring act of 2008.
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Westlife staged a sold-out concert, "10 Years of Westlife," at Croke Park on June 1, 2008. They announced a year-long hiatus following the "Back Home Tour." The live DVD of the Croke Park concert reached number one in several countries. During their hiatus, they made a surprise appearance on the X Factor final in December 2008. In March 2009, they won Best Irish Pop Act at the Meteor Awards for the ninth consecutive time.
Their tenth album, "Where We Are," released on November 30, 2009, peaked at number two in Ireland and the UK. The lead single, "What About Now," reached number two in both charts. They participated in the Haiti charity single "Everybody Hurts" in early 2010, which topped the Irish and UK charts. That year, the Guinness World Records recognized Westlife as the top-selling album group of the 21st century in the UK, with 10.74 million albums sold.
On November 14, 2010, the single "Safe" was released, debuting at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Their album "Gravity," entirely produced by John Shanks, was released on November 22, 2010, reaching number one in Ireland and number three in the UK. This made Westlife one of the few acts to have number-one albums in three consecutive decades in their home country.
In March 2011, they began their eleventh major concert tour, the "Gravity Tour," visiting new territories like Oman, Namibia, and Vietnam. By 2011, they were the longest-reigning band and second-longest-reigning number-one music act of the 21st century in the UK. In March 2011, Westlife confirmed their departure from Simon Cowell's Syco Music after 13 years.
After returning to RCA Records for a one-year album contract, they announced their "Greatest Hits" album, released on November 21, 2011, which debuted at number one in Ireland and number four in the UK. The lead single was "Lighthouse." The "Greatest Hits Tour" was announced in October 2011, with dates selling out within minutes. The farewell tour encompassed eight dates in China and 33 in the UK and Ireland, selling a total of 489,694 tickets. On October 19, 2011, Westlife officially announced their split following the tour.
ITV commissioned a one-off music event, "Westlife: For the Last Time," and another show, "The Westlife Show: Live," was broadcast on November 1, 2011. They were guests on "The Late Late Show" and were honored by the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) for their 49 performances at the venue. Their final concert was on June 23, 2012, at Croke Park Stadium, which sold out in 4 minutes. Due to overwhelming demand, an extra date was added, with a combined attendance of 187,808 spectators over both nights. Their last concert was screened live in over 300 cinemas worldwide, and a DVD of the show topped the UK and Irish charts. That year, they were the 34th top-grossing tour act. Following the split, all four members pursued solo careers.
On September 23, 2018, it was reported that Westlife had signed a new five-year album and tour deal with Universal Music Group and Virgin EMI Records. On October 3, 2018, the group formally announced they were working on new music. Brian McFadden was not involved in the reunion. On December 19, 2018, Egan and Feehily shared a picture of the group's first rehearsals in six years.
"Hello My Love," their first single since 2011, was released on January 10, 2019. Their first UK performance in seven years was on "The Graham Norton Show" on January 11, 2019. They also performed on the 24th National Television Awards and made their first Irish television appearance on "Dancing With the Stars Ireland." The single peaked at number 13 in the UK and number two in Ireland and Scotland, achieving Gold certification in the UK and 2x Platinum in Ireland.
Their eleventh studio album, "Spectrum," released on November 15, 2019, reached number one in Ireland, Scotland, and the UK, earning Gold certification in the UK and Platinum in Ireland. Subsequent singles included "Better Man," "Dynamite," and "My Blood."
On October 17, 2018, Westlife announced "The Twenty Tour," promising to visit every country that wanted to see them. A live film broadcast of the second Croke Park date was released as a video album, topping the UK and Ireland charts. In September 2019, they announced the "Stadiums in the Summer Tour," postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 17, 2021, Westlife announced a new album deal with Warner Music UK and East West Records. They performed at a BBC Radio 2 event in August 2021. "Starlight," the lead single from their twelfth studio album "Wild Dreams," was released on October 14, 2021, with the album following on November 26. The "Wild Dreams Tour" was announced with numerous dates added. Their Wembley Stadium date was streamed live in cinemas, and a concert filmed in London was broadcast in China to an audience of nearly 28 million. They also performed as special guests on the Backstreet Boys livestream concert.
In August 2023, Westlife announced their first-ever tour dates in Brazil, Canada, and the United States, performing in March 2024. On February 28, 2024, Mark Feehily announced his temporary departure due to health issues, with the remaining trio continuing the American tour. On April 12, 2024, Westlife announced their fifteenth concert tour, the "With Love Tour," featuring dates in Asia, including their first performances in Chongqing, Foshan, Genting, Malaysia, and Incheon, Korea. They exclusively performed new songs like "Better Man" and "Evergreen" on this tour.
On July 16, 2024, Music Week reported on Westlife's collaboration with Tencent Music for an AI single titled "Love + Courage," released exclusively in China. The song, a cover of a Chinese artist's work, garnered a million streams in its first week.
On June 13, 2025, the pop trio announced the initial dates for their sixteenth concert tour, "The 25th Anniversary World Tour," kicking off at London's Royal Albert Hall. In July 2025, Ed Sheeran invited the group to perform "Flying Without Wings" with him on stage. On October 17, 2025, Belfast and Dublin dates were announced alongside the release of a new single, "Chariot," written by Sheeran, Mac, Will Reynolds, and Johnny McDaid. The trio announced further European dates, including their first gigs in Antwerp, Belgium, and Paris, France. On the same day, they revealed a new greatest hits album, "25: The Ultimate Collection," to be released on February 13, 2026, featuring their hits and four brand-new tracks, with Mark Feehily's vocals included. The album cover notably featured Brian McFadden, despite his departure in 2004.
Westlife's debut coincided with the peak of the boy band era, achieving album certifications in Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United States. They amassed over 50,000 fan club members in mainland China alone by 2006. "Flying Without Wings" was recognized as a popular first dance song at weddings, and their songs were also included in popular funeral music choices in the UK and Ireland.
The band performed for the Sultan of Brunei, earning £2.5 million for a private concert. They also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert multiple times and for Queen Elizabeth II, Barack Obama, and Pope John Paul II, becoming the first pop band to headline entertainment at the Vatican City.
Their album "Coast to Coast" saw extensive promotional products in Asia, including MRT transport tickets and postcard sets. They secured sponsorships from Tayto, Calvin Klein, Adidas, and Volkswagen. In celebration of their 10th anniversary, they released an autobiography, "Westlife - Our Story," and two perfume gift sets, "X" and "With Love."
Westlife has actively supported various charitable causes, including the "Helping For Haiti" charity single and a cover of "Uptown Girl" for Comic Relief. They have participated in the Royal British Legion poppy appeal, Irish Blood for Life, and the Irish Water Safety campaign. They performed at the "Unite of the Stars" Gala Banquet in South Africa, supporting multiple charities, and have lent their support to numerous other causes, including Sport Relief, Macmillan Cancer Support, and ChildLine. They are also ambassadors for The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
The current members of Westlife are Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, and Mark Feehily, all active since their reformation in 2018. Brian McFadden was a former member from 1998 to 2004. Their extensive discography, numerous awards and nominations, and impressive list of concert tours further solidify their status as a global music powerhouse.
Copied!
Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member of the band before leaving to pursue a solo career in 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 304 Top 50 singles. They have sold over 55 million records and are holders of four Guinness World Records. Westlife has received numerous accolades including one World Music Award, two Brit Awards, four MTV Awards, and four Record of the Year Awards.
The group has released twelve studio albums: four as a five-piece and eight as a four-piece. They rose to fame with their debut international 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 the 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 a six-year split. After reforming in 2018, the quartet released the studio albums Spectrum (2019) and Wild Dreams (2021).
== History ==
=== Formation and early years (1997–1998) ===
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 formed 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. McDonagh first encountered Egan as a six-year-old student at her weekly dance classes and came to know Filan and Feehily in their early teens as they starred in shows such as Oliver! and Godspell for Sligo Fun Company.
Louis Walsh, the manager of fellow Irish boy band Boyzone, came to know the group after Filan's mother Mae contacted him, but the group failed to secure a BMG record deal with Simon Cowell. Cowell told Walsh: "You are going to have to fire at least three of them. They have great voices, but they are the ugliest band I have ever seen in my life." Lacey, Keighron, and Garrett were told they would not be part of the new group, and auditions were held in Dublin where Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden were recruited.
The new group, formed on 3 July 1998, was originally named Westside but renamed themselves as Westlife due to an existing band with that name. They signed a four-million-pound record deal with RCA Records. Westlife's first big break came in 1998 when they opened for Boyzone and Backstreet Boys' concerts in Dublin. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating was brought in to co-manage the group with Louis Walsh. Their first live television performance as a group was on the Irish TV series The Late Late Show broadcast on 13 November 1998. They performed "Flying Without Wings".
=== Westlife, Coast to Coast, and World of Our Own (1999–2001) ===
In April 1999, the group released their first single, “Swear It Again", which immediately topped the charts in Ireland and in the UK for two weeks. It was the biggest-selling single in the first week by a debut artist. Their second single, "If I Let You Go" was released in August 1999, which made them the first boy band to hit No. 1 with their first two singles. Their third single was "Flying Without Wings" (their first 'Record of the Year' and their third No. 1 single), released in October of the same year. "Flying Without Wings" was also included on the soundtrack of the Warner Brothers film, Pokémon: The Movie 2000. Their first album, simply titled Westlife, was released in November 1999 and went to No. 2 in the UK and No. 1 in Ireland. The album was the biggest chart dropper on the Top 40 in UK music history when in its 58th week on the charts it leaped from No. 79 to No. 3 before falling to No. 37 the following week. In Scotland, the album debuted at number 6 in 1999 but subsequently peaked at number one year later in 2001.
In December 1999, a fourth single was released, the double A-side "I Have A Dream"/"Seasons in the Sun". It was the 1999 UK Christmas number-one single and their fourth No. 1 single. They are one of only five acts to achieve four number ones in the UK Singles Chart in one calendar year. The fifth and final single from the album, "Fool Again", also peaked at No. 1. They became the only male band to have every single release from an album that reached No. 1 in the UK. Afterward, Westlife signed to Arista Records for the North American release of their debut. "Swear It Again" peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. On 1 July 2000, they were honored as Freemen of the Borough of Sligo. An honor given to people who have promoted the town and county of Sligo, Ireland.
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 4th biggest-selling album of 2000. This is their second No. 1 album in Ireland. The album was preceded by the duet with Mariah Carey "Against All Odds" and the original song "My Love" (their second Record of the Year award). Both singles reached No. 1 on the UK charts, their sixth and seventh number ones respectively. With this, Westlife broke the record of the most consecutive No. 1 singles in the UK with their first seven singles. However, in December 2000, their eighth single "What Makes a Man", debuted at No. 2, breaking their string of consecutive number ones. The single "My Love" was controversially used by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as part of a torture program in Afghanistan. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), "the music pounded constantly as part of a scheme to assault prisoners' senses".
Outside the UK and Ireland, they gained chart success with "I Lay My Love on You" and "When You're Looking Like That". They were included in the top ten earners list of all acts in the UK and Ireland and sold over 2.5 million units in the Asia Pacific region. In February 2001, they began their first world tour, "Where Dreams Come True Tour". A recording of a concert from the tour live from Dublin was released on 19 November 2001.
On 12 November 2001, Westlife released their third album, World of Our Own, peaking at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. "Uptown Girl" (their first single to be on the List of million-selling singles in the United Kingdom), "Queen of My Heart" and "World of Our Own" were released as singles, all of which peaked at No. 1 in the UK. "Bop Bop Baby" was also released as a single and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. In 2002, Westlife went on their second world tour, the World of Our Own Tour. By the end of the year, IRMA awarded the band for 1 million units sold in Ireland. The group sold more than 12 million records in a span of three years.
=== Unbreakable, Turnaround, and McFadden's departure (2002–2004) ===
Westlife released their eleventh UK No. 1 single, "Unbreakable" in 2002. Amidst rumors of a split, Westlife released their first greatest hits album in November of that same year titled Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits Vol. 1, which peaked at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. During this time, Westlife achieved a Guinness World Record for most public appearances by a pop group in 36 hours. The band made stop-offs in five different cities (Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, London, and Manchester) to promote their then-new album. The release was followed by the double A-side single "Tonight"/"Miss You Nights", which debuted at No. 3 in the UK and No. 1 in Ireland. Following this release, the group premiered a TV documentary titled "Wild Westlife". Iain MacDonald directed it and features their daily life as musicians and their tour experiences. It was aired on BBC Choice. In 2003, Westlife went on their third world tour, the Unbreakable Tour. 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. Their fourth studio album, Turnaround, was released in November 2003, earning the group another No. 1 album in the UK and Ireland. "Mandy", was released a week before the album and became the band's twelfth No. 1 single. It also won them their third Record of the Year award. "Mandy" is the single with the longest leap to the top (from No. 200 to No. 1) in UK music history. "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 the group, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. McFadden's final public performance as part of Westlife was at Newcastle upon Tyne's Powerhouse nightclub on 27 February 2004. 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. A recording of a concert from the Turnaround Tour, live from Stockholm, Sweden, was released in November 2004.
=== Face to Face, Back Home, and cover albums (2004–2008) ===
In September 2004, they performed at the World Music Awards, where they were recognized as the Best Irish Act of that year. They then released a Rat Pack-inspired album, their fifth album ...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 Me to the Moon" also had music videos produced. Prior to the release of the ...Allow Us to Be Frank album, Westlife scouted for "the perfect fan" to help promote the album. After X Factor-style auditions, they found Joanne Hindley, who recorded "The Way You Look Tonight" with the group. A television program documenting this process, She's The One, was presented by Kate Thornton. Westlife embarked on "The Number Ones Tour" in early 2005. A recording of a concert from the tour, live from Sheffield, was released in November 2005.
In October 2005, Westlife released the single "You Raise Me Up", which became their thirteenth number 1 single. It was taken from their sixth album Face to Face which also peaked at No. 1 in the UK. "You Raise Me Up" was awarded as their fourth Record of the Year in the UK. In December of that year, the group 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. The third single from the album, "Amazing", peaked at No. 4. Westlife embarked on the "Face to Face Tour", traveling extensively to the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Asia. The group performed 32 shows and recorded 238,718 attendances. A recording of a concert from the tour, live from Wembley Arena, was released in November 2006.
In late 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. The album debuted at No. 1 in both the UK and Ireland. It was the top-selling album of 2006 in Ireland. The only single from The Love Album, "The Rose", became their 14th UK No. 1 single. Westlife kicked off their eighth world tour, "The Love Tour", in Perth, Australia. The group then went on to other Australian cities before moving on to South Africa, the UK, and Ireland. The tour grossed £1,031,033.
On 5 November 2007, Westlife released their eighth album, Back Home, which contained nine new original songs and three cover songs. The album debuted at No. 1 in the UK and Ireland. It was also 2007's fifth biggest-selling album in the UK. The first single released from the album was "Home", which peaked at No. 3 in the UK. "Us Against the World" was released as the second single and "Something Right" became the third single in Europe and 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. They embarked on the Back Home Tour on 25 February 2008. This tour marked the first time that the group had traveled and performed in New Zealand, performing four sold-out shows in Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Christchurch. Westlife were the seventh top touring act of 2008.
=== 10th anniversary, hiatus, Where We Are, and Gravity (2008–2010) ===
To mark their tenth year in music, Westlife staged the sold-out concert 10 Years of Westlife in Croke Park on 1 June 2008. The group announced that they would be going on hiatus for a year after their Back Home Tour.10 Years of Westlife – Live at Croke Park Stadium was released on 24 November 2008 and went straight to No. 1 on the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand Music DVD charts. On 13 December 2008, while on hiatus, Westlife made an unexpected appearance during that year's X Factor final where they performed "Flying Without Wings" with runners-up JLS. In the last week of January 2009, a DVD titled The Karaoke Collection was released. On 18 March 2009, Westlife won the Best Irish Pop Act at the 2009 Meteor Awards for the ninth consecutive time.
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 single, "What About Now", was released on 23 October 2009 and peaked at No. 2 on both Irish and UK Singles Charts. The tour in support of this album was "The Where We Are Tour". A recording of a concert from the tour, live from London, was released in November 2010. They were part of the Haiti charity single in early 2010 with "Everybody Hurts", which was organized by Cowell. The 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 the 21st century, with 10.74 million albums sold in the UK alone.
On 14 November 2010, the single "Safe" was released. It debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 21 November at No. 10. The album Gravity was released on 22 November 2010. It was entirely produced by John Shanks. The album went to No. 1 in Ireland and No. 3 in the UK. This is their ninth No. 1 in Ireland; this album made Westlife one of the few musical acts to have number-one albums in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) in their home country.
=== Greatest Hits and split (2011–2012) ===
In March 2011, they began their eleventh major concert tour, the Gravity Tour. This tour marked the first time the group traveled to Oman, Namibia, Guangzhou, and Vietnam for concerts. As of 2011, the group was the longest-reigning band and second-longest-reigning number-one music act in the 21st century in the UK. On 14 March 2011, Westlife confirmed that they had 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 on it all the time."
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 the UK. The first single, "Lighthouse", was released in November 2011. A follow-up promotional single, "Beautiful World" was released the same month. The Greatest Hits Tour was announced on 18 October 2011, with dates in the UK confirmed for May 2012. Stereoboard reported that the tour sold out within minutes. The farewell tour consisted of eight dates in China and 33 in the UK and Ireland; in total, the band sold 489,694 tickets from the tour. On 19 October 2011, Westlife officially announced they were splitting following the tour.
ITV commissioned a one-off music event titled Westlife: For the Last Time. Another show, The Westlife Show: Live, was broadcast on 1 November 2011. Following this, they were guests on The Late Late Show. They were honored at that time by the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) with four specially commissioned bar stools to mark 49 performances at the venue for over 380,000 fans, selling more tickets than any other act. The band had their final concert on 23 June 2012 at Croke Park Stadium in Ireland. The 82,300-capacity show was sold out in 4 minutes. Due to this popular demand, an extra date was added at Croke Park on 22 June 2012, which also sold out. Combined, there was a total of 187,808 spectators on both nights, exceeding the stadium's capacity. Their last concert was screened live in more than 300 cinemas in the United Kingdom, and 200 cinemas worldwide. They released a DVD of the show, which went to number 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 released albums and singles individually.
=== Reunion, Spectrum, and tour (2018–2020) ===
On 23 September 2018, it was reported that the group was signed to Universal Music Group for a new five-year album and tour deal with Virgin EMI Records. On 3 October 2018, the group formally announced that they were working on new music. McFadden was not involved in the reformation, saying in an interview with Closer Magazine, "I only met the guys when I joined the band and have no regrets about leaving." On 19 December 2018, Egan and Feehily posted a picture of the group's first rehearsals together in six years.
"Hello My Love", their first single since 2011 was released on 10 January 2019. Their first UK performance in seven years and of the single was on The Graham Norton Show on 11 January 2019. They also performed the single on the 24th National Television Awards on 22 January 2019. Their first Irish performance and television appearance together was on the final night of Dancing With the Stars Ireland on 24 March 2019. The single peaked at number 13 in the UK and reached number two in Ireland and Scotland. The single was certified Gold in the UK seven months after its premiere. In Ireland, it has a 2× Platinum certification.
Their eleventh studio album, Spectrum, was released on 15 November 2019. The album peaked at number one in Ireland, Scotland, and the UK. It was certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in Ireland. The second single from the album was "Better Man". It reached number two on the UK Singles Sales Chart and Scottish Singles Chart. The third single, "Dynamite", was released on 5 July 2019. The fourth single from the album, "My Blood", was released on 25 October 2019. "My Blood" peaked at number ninety-six on the UK Singles Chart and at number six on the Scottish Singles Chart. It also peaked at number forty-six in the Irish Singles Chart.
On 17 October 2018, Westlife announced The Twenty Tour and said: "Every country that wants to see Westlife will see us at some point. We won't step away from this until we've managed to tour the world." The second day of the tour in Croke Park had a live film 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 and Ireland and stayed at the top spot for more than thirty weeks on their official charts.
On 13 September 2019, they announced the Stadiums in the Summer Tour, which was scheduled to begin the following year. However, it was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
=== Wild Dreams, Feehily's temporary departure, 25: The Ultimate Collection (2021–present) ===
On 17 March 2021, they formally announced that they signed a new 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 on 10 September 2021.
"Starlight", the lead single from their twelfth studio album, was released on 14 October 2021. The album, Wild Dreams, was released on 26 November 2021.
On 29 October 2021, a new schedule for their renamed fourteenth concert tour, The Wild Dreams Tour, was released. It included fourteen new dates and venues, with eight more dates added later. They announced that their Wembley Stadium date would be streamed live in various European cinemas. On 17 December 2021, a Westlife concert filmed at London’s Bush Hall Venue and broadcast by Tencent’s WeChat (Weixin) in China had an audience of almost 28 million. They were special guest performers on the Backstreet Boys livestream concert on the same platform on 24 June 2022.
On 14 August 2023, Westlife announced their first-ever tour dates in Brazil, Canada and the United States. They performed in Toronto, Boston, New York City, and Chicago in March 2024.
On 28 February 2024, Feehily announced his temporary departure from Westlife due to ongoing health issues, just days before the start of their American tour, leaving Filan, Byrne, and Egan to continue the tour as a trio. On 12 April 2024, Westlife announced their fifteenth concert tour, With Love Tour which were twelve Asian dates from 24 May 2024 to 23 November 2024. This also marks their first footing in Chongqing and Foshan in China, Genting, Malaysia and Incheon, Korea. Also for venues Hanoi Indoor Games Gymnasium and Workers' Stadium. They exclusively played their songs Better Man, Evergreen, My Hero, and Tunnel of Love in this tour. Also, Beautiful in White as a group.
On 16 July 2024, Music Week reported Westlife had collaboration with Tencent Music for a one-time AI single named "Love + Courage" only released in China and a non-album single. The song is a cover from a Chinese artist, Johnny Zhang. It had a million streams on its first week on the said country.
On 13 June 2025, the pop trio kicked off the announcement of their initial dates and venue for their sixteenth concert tour, The 25th Anniversary World Tour, which is in London's Royal Albert Hall. On 11 July 2025, Sheeran invited the group to perform with him on stage in his Ipswich gig, in which they played Flying Without Wings. On 17 October 2025, Belfast and Dublin dates were announced with the new single called "Chariot" announced and later released on 24 October 2025 under Sony Music. The song is written by Sheeran, Mac, Will Reynolds, and Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol. The trio announced more concert tour dates later that includes more European dates. This tour marks their first gig in Antwerp, Belgium and Paris, France, and also for venues Barclays Arena, Lanxess Arena, Royal Arena, and Ziggo Dome. On the same day, they revealed a new greatest hit album coming up called 25: The Ultimate Collection which will be released on 13 February 2026. It contains their hits and four brand new tracks on different formats and tracklists. Feehily's vocals are recorded in the new tracks as well. The official album cover featured McFadden, despite having left the group in 2004.
== Public image and endorsements ==
Westlife's debut album and single coincided with the apogee of boy band popularity. They also had 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. In 2009, "Flying Without Wings" was listed as the seventh most popular song for the first dance at weddings in the UK. In 2012, their version of "You Raise Me" and also "Flying Without Wings" made it to the top 20 most popular songs used at funerals. In 2016, three of their songs ("I'll See You Again", "Flying Without Wings", and "You Raise Me Up") made it on the top pop music choices for funerals in Ireland.
The band performed for the Sultan of Brunei and was paid £2.5 million to play a private concert of seven songs. They also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in 2000, 2005, and 2009. They also played for Queen Elizabeth II twice, Barack Obama and for Pope John Paul II. They were the first ever pop band to top the entertainment bill at the Vatican City and a private concert for the Pope.
Their second studio album Coast to Coast received additional products, mostly in Asia, that included MRT transport ticket, picture card calendar, postcard set, signed fold-out poster, glossy slipcase and Filofax. They received sponsorship from Tayto in 2000 and for their concert tours from Calvin Klein in 2001, Adidas in 2002, and Volkswagen in 2011. A book written by the members of Westlife was released on 16 June 2008 by HarperCollins UK Publishing titled 'Westlife - Our Story', as part of their 10th-year celebration. The band released two perfume gift sets, "X" and "With Love".
=== Charitable support ===
The group has supported various charitable causes. They were involved in the "Helping For Haiti" charity single, which was released in February 2010, and released a cover version of "Uptown Girl" for Comic Relief.
They have participated in a Royal British Legion poppy appeal, Irish Blood for Life 2004 and did an advertisement for Galway's Irish Water Safety campaign. They also lent their support to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS). On 4 November 2005, they performed with other music artists at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa for The "Unite of the Stars" Gala Banquet charity concert that supports four charities: the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Unite Against Hunger, St. Mary's Hospital and the Topsy Foundation. They also performed live for charity on Sport Relief, Macmillan Cancer Support, Croí, Western Alzheimer's, O'Dwyer Cheshire Home, Mayo Cancer Support Group, Marie Keating Foundation, Outward Bound Trust, ChildLine, Children in Need, and Sheffield's Children Hospital. They had also helped for auctions on Meningitis Research Foundation, Carlton Celebrity Auction for Centrepoint (for the homeless), the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, The Samaritans, Zutto charity painting, and Pushing The Envelope (for National Literacy Trust). They've been involved also with the following organizations: Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), Cancer Research UK, United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), Muscle Help Foundation, Global Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, and Real Man campaign. They are also included as ambassadors of The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
== Members ==
=== Current ===
Shane Filan (1998–2012, 2018–present)
Nicky Byrne (1998–2012, 2018–present)
Kian Egan (1998–2012, 2018–present)
Mark Feehily (1998–2012, 2018–present)
=== Former ===
Brian McFadden (1998–2004)
== Discography ==
== Awards and nominations ==
== Tours ==
=== Concert tours ===
Headlining
Supporting
Boyzone – Where We Belong Tour (1998)
=== Promotional tours ===
== See also ==
List of best-selling boy bands
UK Singles Chart records and statistics
List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
List of best-selling music artists in the United Kingdom in singles sales
List of artists by number of UK Singles Chart number ones
List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2000s
List of UK Singles Downloads Chart number ones of the 2000s
List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2000s
List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
List of songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart
List of best-selling albums in the Philippines
== References ==
== External links ==
Official website
Westlife at AllMusic
Home
Languages