Westlife have released their first single in eight years.
‘Hello My Love’ was written by Ed Sheeran and produced by Steve Mac and is the first new music to release since the foursome – Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan – reunited late last year, six years after splitting up.
Westlife will embark on their Twenty Twenty Tour, on the 20th anniversary of their formation, this year, taking in two sold out dates at Croke Park in July.
Last year they approached long-time Westlife collaborator Steve Mac, who had penned and produced several of their hits including Flying Without Wings and Swear It Again, to write new music.
“He was writing with Ed Sheeran who turned around to him one day in a songwriting session and said, ‘I’d love to write a Westlife style song’, and they went off and wrote a Westlife style song,” revealed Kian at the reunion announcement.
“We didn’t know any of this was happening and we got back together, behind closed doors, and went to see Steve and he played us a few songs and he was like, ‘This is actually an Ed song that Ed wrote saying he wanted to write a Westlife style song.”
Nicky revealed that he had had a conversation with Kian two years ago about reforming and his concerns about “where Westlife’s music fits into the current market” and not wanting to be simply a “nostalgia” act.
“[I said] we need Ed Sheeran or someone of that ilk. Little did we know Ed was in the background saying, “I want to write a Westlife tune’,” he said.
“Really there was only two people who could get Westlife back out of bed – Steve Mac and Ed Sheeran, and we’re in that position, thankfully.”
Kian said that fans would be “taken aback” by the new track while Shane added, “it’s exactly where Westlife need to be.”
Speaking to Metro UK today, Kian, speaking about Ed’s song Perfect, said, ‘It’s very Westlife whereas this first single isn’t your typical Westlife. But the other singles he’s done are very Westlife. Good songs are good songs, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Westlife song or not.”
Read more: ‘There were only two people who could get Westlife back out of bed in 2018 – Ed Sheeran was one’ – Nicky Byrne
‘Brian McFadden was never going to be a part of tour’ – Westlife
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