“Flying Without Wings” by Westlife and BoA (2002)

A song wasted

It has been more than 15 years since I first heard the duet version of Westlife’s “Flying Without Wings” featuring BoA. My mother bought me a cassette tape of the Irish pop vocal group’s 4th album (and 1st greatest hits compilation) titled Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Volume 1, which was released in 2002.

Westlife feat. Boa, "Flying Without Wings" (Image from https://991.com)

“Flying Without Wings” duet version did not get airplays from radio stations I used to listen to. The album’s carrier single “Unbreakable” even received moderate airplays, though it managed to land #1 at a local radio station’s weekly countdown, staying for a week. It hurts to admit it but "Unbreakable" was forgettable.

In comparison, Westlife’s duet with Mariah Carey titled “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” was more popular than any track off Unbreakable. British vocal group Blue’s “Best in Me” and “One Love” and A1’s “One Last Song” and “Learn to Fly” were more successful in terms of airplays.

Knowing BoA… and Kpop

I had no idea who this BoA person was until six years later when I chanced upon BoA’s music videos on Channel V. A quick visit to Wikipedia told me she is a Korean singer who enjoyed commercial and critical success in both Korea and Japan, which in my knowledge is the world’s 2nd largest music market. I was impressed that she released Japanese singles and albums.

BoA, Listen To My Heart (Image from http://www.jpophelp.com)

During that time, Kpop was getting popular and receiving more airplays. However, in my observation, BoA was nowhere to be mentioned or sung by teenagers who were becoming Kpop fanatics. Her songs were nowhere to be played by radio stations and by Myx and MTV.
It seemed that new Kpop fans were not interested in knowing BoA.

One proof is a young workmate who is into Kpop and Korean drama. She knows Westlife – of course, almost everyone knows Westlife even if they are not a listener – but nothing about BoA. It was until I told her about Westlife’s duet with BoA that she learned about her.

It is a shame for Kpop fans to not know BoA, the Korean singer with the most successful crossover into Japan. Some of the new Kpop fans even had the gall to call her obsolete. Little or never do they know that she opened the door for other Korean artists in Japan.

Even before the rise of modern Kpop artists, BoA was already popular in Japan. That was even before social media likes, shares, and views became the metrics for success in the music industry.

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"This I Promise You" by Shane Filan (2017)

Double memories: Westlife lead singer belts out NSYNC hit

I stumbled upon this track hours ago. I forgot how, but I think I didn't forget the feeling I experienced: I was immediately blown away. This is an LSS hit, I mentally told myself as I kept hitting the replay button multiple times.

World record-breaking pop vocal group Westlife and its singers were out of my radar for the longest time now. I was surprised to know Shane Filan keeps himself active in the music scene. I believe he has released a number of materials over the year, but fame has already eluded him. Nevertheless, I was just happy there's someone from my glorious generation to keep the flame burning... with an oldie that has not been played by FM stations in the Philippines for the very long time.

Shane Filan (Image from https://www.hotpress.com)

If memory serves me right, Westlife once covered a song from O-Town, who shared the same creator with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. With Shane Filan covering NSYNC's #1 Billboard Adult Contemporary Hit of 2000, everything's coming back into my mind: the first time I saw the song's video by the original artist, a Westlife VCD given to me by a classmate, O-Town's lack of radio airplay for their second album... and how great the oldies are.

I'm listening to this song as I write this post. I really can't say much. Just listen to this song. This version is more soulful, more touching, and more of a love song than the original version. Don't you agree?

Westlife during the good old days (Image from http://www.independent.ie)

Now I wonder, what if the band is back to cover this song? Will it be a better version? But the question is: will Westlife ever reunite? Only time will tell.

"All 'Bout The Money" by Meja (1998)

One song, many problems, no money

Until now, I still have money problems. Life is indeed all about the money. For some people, no money, no life. No money, no love, no respect. What a life!

I believe all of us did go through some money problems in life. We had seen our parents fight over money. We broke up with relatives and friends over money. We failed to take our exams because we didn't pay our school fees. We skipped meals. We were overdue on our rent. We cried.

Worse, we had to resort to crime to make ends meets. We stole from people, including our loved ones. We robbed students, old people, and even children. We even had to steal from the treasury. We renegaded on our promises of payments to people whom we owe money. We put on a thick face every time we had to face them. If we're lucky, they'd forget to collect and we'd forget to pay. We even hide from our creditors. We lied.

Some others committed suicide. This is life. 

Life is all about the money. What a life!

MTV Fantastic Females Vol. 1 (Image from http://www.cduniverse.com/)

Memories of 2003 high school prom

First heard Meja way back in 2003. I borrowed a MTV Fantastic Females 1999 CD from a cousin twice removed, played it that night, and I was blown right away with the song from Meja. Simple lyrics and edgy tune. It was my last song syndrome of February 2003.

Okay, that was days before I heard Evanescence and t.A.T.u. That time, we high school junior and seniors were busy preparing for the prom. Though I had a choice not to attend, I'd still end up paying for the affair, because no prom payment, no clearance. It was not fair. Too bad I can't do nothing that time.

The track is #4 in Meja's Seven Sisters, her second studio album released in 1998 (Image from http://eil.com/)

Fuck we had to dance to the tune of "All The Love In The World" by The Corrs. I love The Corrs, but I hate proms. I hate paying for that event. The money would be better used for music magazines and cassette tapes. But I forgot I had no money. I had to ask prom payment from my father and cassette tapes from my mother.

Too bad I have to live in a society where people look up to people based on material and financial wealth, not principles and ideologies. Money, not ideas, rule my society.

Life is all about the money. We do crazy thing for it. What a life!

"Uptown Girl" by Westlife (2000)

Westlife cover is LSS of summer 2001

One of the best summer singles ever (in my list) ranking alongside "Helena" by My Chemical Romance and "Cry" by Mandy Moore (I will blog about this song some other time). This song was really in my head in the summer of 2001 until August 2001, and living through the years ahead, I have never forgotten this song.

10 summers ago, my mother bought me a book about Westlife. The book contains interesting details about the band's beginnings up to the recording of their third magnum opus World Of Our Own. The lads were lucky to land famous supermodel Claudia Schiffer as their leading lady for the music video, and member Mark Feehily had a crush on her. And yes, ten summers ago too, he came out of the closet. Hats off to Mark, one of the gay artists that I truly respect.

Picture time. Westlife with German model Claudia Schiffer (image from Angelfire.com)

Cassette tape memories

I even borrowed the cassette single from a second degree cousin, who was lucky enough to own Millennium by the Backstreet Boys and The A List by A1. It will be a year before I bought a pre-loved Coast to Coast album from a former classmate. To date, I have two Westlife cassettes given to me by my mother, two preloved cassettes I bought from my classmates, and two bootlegged ones.

Years later another old classmate gave me a bootlegged CD of their 2005 album Face to Face.

Ignorance

Due to the lack of access to information (or was it ignorance or people not telling me what I should know), I thought this was a Westlife original. I was wrong. I learned it was a Billy Joel hit few years later. I was not surprised. Westlife did an amazing job with other artists' hits - they made other artists' songs theirs. If there are any artists that can cover original hits, Westlife can do better. The Irish pop vocal band is the king of covers.

Due to the mentioning of the word "backstreet guy", I thought Westlife was poking fun at the Backstreet Boys. I used to believe there was a sort of bitter rivalry between the two. How wrong I was! If I could still remember, Westlife thanked the Backstreet Boys in one of their albums.

Should you listen to "Uptown Girl", Westlife version?

You should. This is a great song. Take it from me.

Westlife is now gone but their memories remain. Their songs still get airplay and are still being sung in karaoke bars.