| 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日成立的一支爱尔兰流行乐队。最初的乐队成员包括Nicky Byrne、Kian Egan、Mark Feehily、Shane Filan和Brian McFadden，其中Brian McFadden于2004年离队。目前，Filan和Feehily担任乐队的主唱。西城男孩是英国流行音乐史上唯一一支头七首单曲空降榜首的乐队，他们的专辑在全球销量超过4300万张，这其中不乏录音室专辑、单曲、视频和合辑。 |
| 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，作为30岁以下名人中的第九富，他们在整个财富排行榜上也跻身第13位。全球范围内，他们堪称第三最畅销流行乐队，也是这十年（2000-2009）来的最畅销乐队。他们共有14张单曲唱片在英国高居榜首；这个数量排名历史第三位，仅次于猫王（Elvis Presley）、披头士（The Beatles），与克利夫·理查（Cliff Richard）持平。此外，这支乐队还打破了不少最高纪录，他们不仅是英国拥有最多蝉联冠军头衔的流行艺人，而且还是温布利体育场（Wembley Arena）最畅销演唱团体。 |
| 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. |
经过这些年，西城男孩的音乐已经从少年时的流行乐发展成一种独特的音乐风格，侧重于情歌的创作。乐队的所有成员都是创作型歌手，不过，大部分作品还是由乐队以外的人创作，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.” |
《爱就在这里》（Where We Are），这个专辑名证明很有预见性。2009年，西城男孩已经全然不是上个千年末征服乐坛的那个少年男孩组合了。“面对那些从来没有对Westlife组合提起过兴趣的人，我们开始学会思考，”Nicky说，“我们在想，如果有人在广播里听到我们的一首歌，他们会感叹，‘哇哈，真是他们的歌么？’我们希望能再次给大家带来特别的享受，而不是单纯地让歌迷们如同给家里添件家具一般添点东西。” |
| 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.” |
他们回归乐坛，同时把后街男孩（Backstreet Boys）的专辑《千禧情》（Millennium）视为21世纪流行音乐的试金石。“我们并不指望专辑中的每首歌都会是一支很有潜力的单曲，”Shane说，“不收录一首差劲的歌，这就是我们对专辑Where We Are的期待。”这样的新想法与现在iTunes时代完美呼应。如今，顾客已经习惯于从一张专辑中挑选购买他们喜欢的三首歌，一年总共只需花费2.37英镑，剩下的留在网上欣赏就够了。“作为一支乐队，我们明白什么样的歌才称得上一首好歌，”Mike说，“并不仅仅是听听别人的歌，然后把他们的东西都拿过来，而是要发挥我们内在的天分去思考现代的流行乐队该创作怎样的歌曲为自己服务。”
（China.org.cn 汪玮 译）
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