I think Westlife is very unique: we have a certain sound; we do our thing our way, and we don't try to change too much. I think that's what the fans love about us. We keep giving the fans what they want every year. The style of music never really changes too much.

Shane Filan

Categorized in : Thinking Years Unique

My whole world changed when Michael Jackson brought out the Bad album when I was about eight or nine. He took over my whole life and from then on I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I watched his videos for hours and learned how to dance like him. I would push back the chairs in the room and learn his dance moves. I even taught myself to moonwalk.

Shane Filan

eight albums moving

You only live once, so live a good life!

Shane Filan

good-life you-only-live-once

You've got to go down the road you naturally go down, and for me it was pop, folk country, just feel-good music. I suppose most of my songs are very up-tempo.

Shane Filan

feel-good song country

The adrenaline of performing on stage to a crowd - there's nothing like it.

Shane Filan

adrenaline crowds stage

I'd like to keep singing - whether that's small or big. To stop singing for a living would break my heart.

Shane Filan

singing break heart

I think that lyrically, 'Safe' is a very positive song: it's very strong; it's about keeping somebody safe and protecting people. I think everybody anywhere in the world can relate to it. I think everybody wants to feel safe; everybody wants to feel protected.

Shane Filan

strong song thinking

Yes, it's true, I have bought a helicopter. I really like it. I can't fly it, but I plan to get a licence one day.

Shane Filan

helicopters plans one-day

I don't think about success to be famous, because I've done that at the highest level, but it's all about my children.

Shane Filan

done children thinking

When you realise that money doesn't actually make you happy, it's a quick fix to have things you've always wanted, but then when you have it, you realise that's not what actually makes you happy. It's more about having a great marriage and happy children; that's what life's all about.

Shane Filan

great-marriage make-you-happy children

When your child is looking up at you and you are putting them to bed at night, and they are just lying there, you have to remind yourself that's what it's all about.

Shane Filan

night lying children

For Westlife, the music will never stop as long as our fans are around inspiring us to keep on making beautiful music together.

Shane Filan

together beautiful long

Together with a team of financial and legal experts I have spent months exploring all possible alternatives to bankruptcy but to no avail.

Shane Filan

team experts together

If I'm honest, I thought Westlife would keep going for longer than it did - we all did - but it sort of came to a natural end. When we decided we were going to split, I thought, 'If I'm going to sing, I'm going to have to do it solo.' Also, financially I was broke, so the decision was ultimately made for me.

Shane Filan

splits honest decision

Capitol Records were very keen for me to write and see how I got on; I think that is what defined my sound. The first session I had was with two young up-and-coming writers, Nick Atkinson and Tom Wilding, and I went into a session a bit nervous because I hadn't written that many songs before.

Shane Filan

writing song thinking

After Westlife, I was in a scared place, you know; you've three children, and I worry about providing for them, and I had no guarantees going forward about the future.

Shane Filan

three worry children

You're only as good as your last album.

Shane Filan

haircuts albums lasts

I didn't want to be a solo Westlife - covers and ballads - and the reason I signed with Capitol Records was because they wanted me to write songs myself. It was pretty scary, but they put me in a studio in Nashville with some new songwriters, and the results were pretty good.

Shane Filan

nashville writing song

When you look at bands like Take That, who have come back bigger than ever, you can see there will always be a market for good pop bands.

Shane Filan

bigger band looks

For me, it's never been about being famous. I just want to be a successful singer. I wanna work hard If I'm in the papers, grace, but I want to be there for the right reasons - for my music.

Shane Filan

hard-work grace successful

I have worked long and hard to try to reduce my debts, and I am devastated that it came to this conclusion. I now intend to focus on the remaining dates of the Westlife tour and my commitments to the band before looking to rebuild a future for my wife, my three children and myself.

Shane Filan

long children commitment