History
Westlife was formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998 by Louis Walsh, who had previously managed Irish boy bands Boyzone and Ronan Keating. The group was originally called Westside, but they changed their name to Westlife to avoid confusion with another band with the same name.
Westlife quickly gained popularity in Ireland and the United Kingdom with their debut single "Swear It Again", which reached number one in both countries. Their subsequent singles "Flying Without Wings", "Fool Again", and "All or Nothing" also reached number one in Ireland and the UK, and the group's debut album "Westlife" was released in November 1999 and became the fastest-selling debut album in Irish history.
Westlife continued to release successful albums and singles throughout the 2000s, including "My Love", "Uptown Girl", "When You're Looking Like That", and "Flying Without Wings". They also toured extensively, and in 2002 they became the first Irish artists to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In 2004, Westlife announced that they would be taking a hiatus from music. The group's final album, "The Number Ones", was released in November 2004 and featured a collection of their hit singles.
Westlife reunited in 2008 and released their comeback single "Home", which reached number one in Ireland and the UK. The group continued to release successful albums and singles in the years that followed, including "What About Now", "Lighthouse", and "Better Man".
In 2012, Westlife announced that they would be disbanding. The group's final concert took place at Croke Park in Dublin on June 23, 2012.
Present Day
Westlife reformed in 2018 and released their eleventh studio album, "Spectrum", in November 2019. The album reached number one in Ireland and the UK, and the group embarked on a reunion tour in support of the album.
In 2021, Westlife released their twelfth studio album, "Wild Dreams". The album reached number one in Ireland and the UK, and the group embarked on another reunion tour in support of the album.
Westlife is one of the most successful boy bands of all time. They have sold over 50 million records worldwide and have won numerous awards, including two Brit Awards and an Ivor Novello Award.