Shane Filan: There will always be boy bands

FORMER Westlife member Shane Filan had doubts about going solo, and had “second, third, fourth thoughts.”

Music trends go in cycles—what was considered the rage more than 10 years ago could well make a comeback, differently packaged.

The late 1990s and early 2000s, for instance, are considered the halcyon days of pop boy bands, when such groups as Backstreet Boys, ’NSync and 98 Degrees constantly battled it out in the charts.

It wasn’t until the early 2010s that pop boy bands started to rise in popularity once more. Leading the pack this time around is One Direction—the five-man, British-Irish group behind the monster hits “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Live While We’re Young.”

Not surprising

For Shane Filan, a former member of the prolific, ballad-focused Irish group, Westlife, the return of boy bands wasn’t really  surprising. “There will always be room for boy bands. It’s going to continue for years, and it’s never going to change,” he recently told the Inquirer.

Asked what he thought was the reason behind boy bands’ latest resurgence, Filan, now pursuing a solo career after spending 14 years with Westlife, offered a no-nonsense explanation: “Young girls love them!”

Indeed, when tickets to the first night of 1D’s two-date Manila concert, scheduled next year, went on sale last month at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, the great majority of fans who trooped to the venue were restless teenage girls; some cried after failing to purchase VIP tickets.

Prior to disbanding in 2012, Westlife had performed four concerts in Manila. Filan said he and former bandmates Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Brian McFadden and Nick Byrne, have fond, if a little crazy, memories with some local fans.

Social media

“It’s probably not as crazy as what happens with 1D, but one time, while we were performing onstage, a fan jumped onto Mark,” Filan related. “Kian had a ring pulled out of his finger. People can get quite excited and so can we. It’s amazing to be on the stage and hear people sing your songs back. There’s no better feeling.”

Comparing the crop of pop boy bands during his generation to new ones popping up, Filan said there wasn’t much of a difference. “I think bands before and now are fairly similar, except that social media has become a huge part of the latter ones’ success. It helps them rise much faster,” explained Filan, who used to share the main singing duties in Westlife with Mark.

But, he said, success would of course still depend largely on the quality of the material. “Great songs equal fans, and 1D is the biggest boy band at the moment because they have that, plus a strong social media presence.”

Filan continued: “I had a chat with one of the band members, Niall Horan, during a concert. He told me that they’ve all been working really hard, and barely get time off… and that’s what you have to do to be a successful band.”

He acknowledged that he had an incredible journey with Westlife—which released 10 studio albums that reportedly sold over 45 million copies collectively, and spawned such hits as “Swear It Again” and “If I Let You Go.” But all good things come to an end, said Filan, who initially had misgivings about going solo.

“I had second, third, fourth thoughts. It was scary. I didn’t want to go solo, but knew that, if I wanted to continue singing, I had to go on my own,” he said.

(He visited the Philippines recently to promote his debut album “You and Me,” as well as his coming concert in Manila, set Oct. 1 at the World Trade Center.)

Failed business

Financial woes made the decision harder to make. According to the UK newspaper/website The Guardian, Filan was declared bankrupt in 2012 when his property business with his brother, Finbarr, collapsed after the Irish property crash.

“I was not in a good place financially. I have a family, and I was worried and scared,” said the father of three. “But I think I made the right decision in throwing myself into making music again—something I know I am good at and can focus on. I focused on what I had—my children and a happy marriage. What happened caused a lot of worry and stress, and I’m glad I’m past that now.”

Compared to Westlife music, the songs in “You and Me” are more upbeat and with touches of folk and country, Shane having worked with artists in Nashville, Tennessee, prior to and during the recording. Is this the direction he sees his music taking?

“I want to present something new. I would have loved to sing more ballads, but I wanted to do happy and positive songs,” Filan said, adding that he wouldn’t stray from pop and do something drastic as switching to R&B. “The sound is fresh and I’m proud of it; it’s something I want to build on.”

Being a solo act, Filan now has more creative freedom. Plus, he no longer has to fight with four guys for the same jacket when shopping for costumes, he said laughing. “Now I have more control of the  schedule,” he pointed out. “But too much freedom is dangerous, too. You have to seek outside opinions.”

But, he conceded, the experience has been fantastic so far. “It’s still quite daunting, but I’ll get used to it.”

(Tickets to the concert are available at SM Tickets, TicketNet and TicketWorld.)

([email protected])