Westlife has confirmed they’ve parted ways with record label EMI, following a ‘breakdown of contractual negotiations’.
The Irish boyband – made up of Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily – reunited in 2018 and released their comeback album Spectrum the following year in November 2019.
It had debuted at number one in the UK charts and secured the band a stadium tour across the UK, which Westlife were later forced to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
News of their tour cancellation came in April last year, with reports claiming the boys had been ‘dropped from their record label’ following a major shake-up.
Releasing a statement on Instagram, Westlife confirmed news they are no longer with EMI and parted ways with the label by ‘mutual consent’.
The statement read: ‘Hi everyone, we hope you are safe and well. We have some big news we’d like to share with you. Due to a change of leadership and a breakdown of contractual negotiations, we have parted company with EMI Records by mutual consent.
‘We enjoyed our time with the label and are very proud of the huge success we achieved together, including our number one album Spectrum and we’re humble to be the label’s biggest selling UK signed artist of that year.’
It continued: ‘This change allows us to embark on a very exciting new chapter. The next 18-months is shaping up to be our biggest yet, including a groundbreaking global partnership which will be announcing imminently.
‘We can also reveal we have started work on our brand new album due for release later this year.’
Westlife confirmed their plans to embark on their ‘biggest ever world tour’ across five continents, including a sold-out date at Wembley Stadium in London and their first ever dates across the US.
The band concluded by urging fans to ‘stay safe’, as they signed off: ‘Everybody stay safe and we’ll see you all very soon.’
Their statement came after insiders claimed to The Sun that they were dropped by EMI Records, after the pandemic caused trouble for the band’s music sales.
‘Westlife are still a big name, but their album came out months before the first lockdown, which has made things really difficult,’ an insider told The Sun.
‘Unfortunately, it didn’t quite sell as well as the team had hoped and because there have been a lot of changes at the label, they have decided to let Westlife go.’
The insider added that the band’s tour not being able to go ahead was a factor in the decision, as it meant reduced potential to boost sales.
However, a spokesperson for the band told the publication Westlife ‘agreed a mutual partying of ways’ with EMI – reiterating that the band will announce a new partnership instead, as stated in Westlife’s Instagram post.
‘The next 18-months are shaping up to be the band’s busiest, including a new album, sold-out stadium shows… plus their biggest ever global tour, which will include their first-ever American show,’ the band’s spokesperson stated, adding: ‘[Westlife] are also considering opportunities for a spectacular end-of-year TV show and a documentary special.’
Westlife’s originally planned London tour dates would have seen All Saints and James Morrison appear as special guests, with the group later confirming, ‘with great sadness’, that they have been forced to cancel.
‘Those who have been on the Westlife journey with us know how important performing is to us, but also know that safety must come first and foremost in delivering a successful tour,’ the band revealed in a message shared to Instagram.
The cancellation came after the boys’ album Spectrum – that features songs penned by James Bay and Ed Sheeran – became their first number one album in the UK in 12 years following its release.
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