Do have some appeal. (Westlife in general)

Member Name: Tara

Product:	Westlife in general
Date:	19/12/00 (56 review reads)
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Westlife are Shane, Mark, Kian, Bryan and Nicky. Managed by Ronan Keating, head member of one of the most popular boy bands of the nineties, whom they have recently sacked, Westlife are clean-cut Irish lads, who are particularly popular with teenage girls.

Being a typical manufactured boy band (and this alone sometimes puts people off), they don’t write their own songs and do appear to cover a lot of other people’s songs, such as ‘Season’s in the Sun’, last Christmas’ number one, and ‘My Girl’, as seen on Motown Mania, the B side on their most recent single ‘What Makes a Man’.

Their songs are nearly always ballads, but the newest album (Coast to Coast) also includes some more up tempo tunes as well as the usual slushy romantic slow songs, which have become their trademark. This is probably the better album as it has more varied tracks.

Despite the bad reviews in the media and singing purely pop ballads, I think (and I know I’m causing some controversy here) that the boys are actually quite talented. They are capable singers, have quite strong, melodic voices and are able to hit high and low notes without any trouble. Adding to their appeal, they are also quite good looking.

Their first album – entitled ‘Westlife’ – I thought was quite impressive. It is astonishingly good value for money, including 5 number ones and 12 other decent songs. But there are absolutely no fast songs on this first album and unfortunetely a lot of the songs sounded very similar to one another.

Out now is their official video (priced £5.99) and their latest album, which includes the number one smash hits ‘Against All Odds’ a cover feat. Mariah Carey, and ‘My Love’, recently voted British Single of the Year.

Overall I must admit, this isn’t ‘real’ music, and they probably don’t deserve all their success
es, but I can see the appeal. And compared to some of the other boy bands about at the minute, they aren’t really that bad.

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