| Westlife is an Irish pop band formed on 3 July 1998. The group's original lineup comprised Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Brian McFadden who left in 2004. Currently, Filan and Feehily serve as the band's lead vocalists. The band is the only act in UK history to have their first seven singles go straight to Number 1, and they have gone on to sell over 43 million records worldwide which includes their studio, single, video, and compilation albums. |
西城男孩（Westlife）是在1998年7月3日成立的一支愛爾蘭流行樂隊。最初的樂隊成員包括Nicky Byrne、Kian Egan、Mark Feehily、Shane Filan和Brian McFadden，其中Brian McFadden于2004年離隊。目前，Filan和Feehily擔任樂隊的主唱。西城男孩是英國流行音樂史上唯一一支頭七首單曲空降榜首的樂隊，他們的專輯在全球銷量超過4300萬張，這其中不乏錄音室專輯、單曲、視頻和合輯。 |
| In 2008, they were declared as Ireland's ninth-richest celebrities under 30 years old and 13th in general. They are the third biggest selling pop band worldwide and biggest selling band of the decade (2000-2009). They garnered 14 number one singles in the United Kingdom, the third-highest in UK history, tying with Cliff Richard and trailing behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles. The band has also broken a few top records, including "Music artist with most consecutive number 1's in the UK" and the "Biggest selling arena act in the Wembley Arena". |
2008年，作為30歲以下名人中的第九富，他們在整個財富排行榜上也躋身第13位。全球范圍內，他們堪稱第三最暢銷流行樂隊，也是這十年（2000-2009）來的最暢銷樂隊。他們共有14張單曲唱片在英國高居榜首；這個數量排名歷史第三位，僅次于貓王（Elvis Presley）、披頭士（The Beatles），與克利夫·理查（Cliff Richard）持平。此外，這支樂隊還打破了不少最高紀錄，他們不僅是英國擁有最多蟬聯冠軍頭銜的流行藝人，而且還是溫布利體育場（Wembley Arena）最暢銷演唱團體。 |
| Over years of their career, Westlife's music has evolved from teen pop to a pop sound, with an emphasis on ballads. All of the band members are songwriters, although most of their hits have been composed by external writers, most notably Steve Mac and Wayne Hector. |
經過這些年，西城男孩的音樂已經從少年時的流行樂發展成一種獨特的音樂風格，側重于情歌的創作。樂隊的所有成員都是創作型歌手，不過，大部分作品還是由樂隊以外的人創作，最著名的有Steve Mac和Wayne Hector。 |
| The title of the album, Where We Are, turned out to be prophetic. Where Westlife were in 2009 was a very different place from the teenage boys who conquered the pop world at the end of the last millennium. “We started thinking about people that had never been interested in Westlife before,” says Nicky, “About people hearing a song on the radio and hearing it was us and thinking ‘wow, really?’ We wanted it to feel special again. Not like part of the furniture that fans add to their homes.” |
《愛就在這里》（Where We Are），這個專輯名證明很有預見性。2009年，西城男孩已經全然不是上個千年末征服樂壇的那個少年男孩組合了。“面對那些從來沒有對Westlife組合提起過興趣的人，我們開始學會思考，”Nicky說，“我們在想，如果有人在廣播里聽到我們的一首歌，他們會感嘆，‘哇哈，真是他們的歌么？’我們希望能再次給大家帶來特別的享受，而不是單純地讓歌迷們如同給家里添件家具一般添點東西。” |
| They came back with Backstreet Boys’ Millennium album as a touchstone for the possibilities of 21st century pop music in mind. “We didn’t feel like we had an album yet where every single song on the record is a potential single,” says Shane, “There isn’t a weak song on that album and that was what we wanted for Where We Are.” This refreshed thinking dovetailed perfectly with the iTunes age, where the customer has become accustomed to picking and choosing the three songs they like from an album for the sum total of ￡2.37, spread over a year, and leaving the rest to simmer on an internet portal. “We’ve got to the point where we personally, as a band, understand what a great song is,” says Mark, “it isn’t just about listening to other people and taking everything they say. It’s about our gut instinct as to what makes songs work for a modern pop band.” |
他們回歸樂壇，同時把后街男孩（Backstreet Boys）的專輯《千禧情》（Millennium）視為21世紀流行音樂的試金石。“我們并不指望專輯中的每首歌都會是一支很有潛力的單曲，”Shane說，“不收錄一首差勁的歌，這就是我們對專輯Where We Are的期待。”這樣的新想法與現在iTunes時代完美呼應。如今，顧客已經習慣于從一張專輯中挑選購買他們喜歡的三首歌，一年總共只需花費2.37英鎊，剩下的留在網上欣賞就夠了。“作為一支樂隊，我們明白什么樣的歌才稱得上一首好歌，”Mike說，“并不僅僅是聽聽別人的歌，然后把他們的東西都拿過來，而是要發揮我們內在的天分去思考現代的流行樂隊該創作怎樣的歌曲為自己服務。”
（China.org.cn 汪瑋 譯）
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