After Westlife split in 2012, no one expected to hear new material from the Irish pop group on the airwaves again. And yet, as 2019 draws to a close, their brand-new album, Spectrum, has claimed the title of Ireland’s Fastest Selling Album of the year.
“Everybody in Ireland, thank you so much for making our brand-new album Spectrum Number 1,” said the group. “It’s our 11th Number 1 album so thank you so much guys, it means an awful lot to us. We’ll see you next summer for loads of concerts – Pairc Ui Chaoimh, see you there!”
Enlisting the collaboration of Ed Sheeran, James Arthur, James Bay, and Steve Mac, Spectrum takes a more contemporary and mature tune, marking an evolution in the group’s talent and interest. Edwin McFee from hotpress.com holds that “’Dynamite’ – a spiritual cousin of Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ – is possibly the best number they’ve put their name to. ‘Take Me There’, meanwhile, sounds stadium-ready thanks to a catchy “woah-oh-oh” refrain.” Still, the album feels very much like the Westlife that took Ireland by storm in the late 90s.
2019 was a huge year for the group, who announced plans to reunite in October of last year. “Hello My Love,” their first single since 2011, debuted on January 10th, and charted in over 50 countries just minutes after release. The following day, the group appeared for their first performance in over seven years on The Graham Norton Show, and anticipation only spiraled from there.