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Irish Pop Group Westlife on 25 Years, New Music and Tour 

Westlife perform during the annual German film and television awards “Golden Camera” (“Die Goldene Kamera”) of German TV magazine “HoerZu” in Berlin, Germany, March 30, 2019. (Reuters) 
Westlife perform during the annual German film and television awards “Golden Camera” (“Die Goldene Kamera”) of German TV magazine “HoerZu” in Berlin, Germany, March 30, 2019. (Reuters) 
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Irish Pop Group Westlife on 25 Years, New Music and Tour 

Westlife perform during the annual German film and television awards “Golden Camera” (“Die Goldene Kamera”) of German TV magazine “HoerZu” in Berlin, Germany, March 30, 2019. (Reuters) 
Westlife perform during the annual German film and television awards “Golden Camera” (“Die Goldene Kamera”) of German TV magazine “HoerZu” in Berlin, Germany, March 30, 2019. (Reuters) 

Westlife celebrate 25 years with a new album and tour they say will take fans down memory lane as well as treat them to "the best show" the Irish pop group have ever done.

The boy band, formed in 1998 when its original five members were teenagers, has sold more than 55 million records and scored 14 UK No. 1 hits with songs such as "Swear It Again", "Flying Without Wings" and "Uptown Girl".

A foursome since 2004, members Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily parted ways in 2012 before reuniting in 2018.

They released single "Chariot" last month, one of four new songs on upcoming album "25 - The Ultimate Collection", out in February. They also expanded their 2026 "Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour", which marks 25 years since their first world tour.

Feehily, who in recent years has suffered health-related issues, is not joining them on tour but features on the album.

In an interview with Reuters, Filan, Egan and Byrne spoke about the tour, recording with Feehily and looking back on 25 years.

Below are excerpts edited for length and clarity.

Q: What can fans expect from the tour?

Filan: “We want to put on our best show we've ever done ... probably picking the setlist is always the hardest part because every fan has a different memory for that song. But it'll be full of hits, obviously, but we're going to elevate it from a kind of visual aspect as well."

Q: What was it like working all together on the album?

Filan: “It was great to have Mark on there. Obviously, he can't tour with us at the moment, he's unable to, but it was very important obviously that he was on the songs and he's singing better than ever ... one of the songs coming out is some of his best vocals ... We can't wait to have him back obviously as well when he's ready."

Q: You recently performed at the Royal Albert Hall. What was that like?

Byrne: “It just felt like an event ... the Oscars meets a brilliant wedding and we were on fire ... And now it's like, ‘Wow, did that just happen?’ We're tired today, but by next Saturday we'll be going ‘Right lads, how do we do this again? Where could we go next?’ And the truth is, who knows? Can it be ... Madison Square Garden? Can it be the Sphere? There are no rules."

Q: How does the success you imagined in those early days compare to the reality?

Egan: “I don't think any of us would have ever been able to say to our young selves ‘This is what you're going to be doing when you're 45 ... We like to think we're normal guys ... yes, we're in this big pop act and we travel around the world ... but we go home and we live quite normal lives ... We’ll be back to taking the bins out tomorrow.”

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Entertainment

Spain’s Eurovision Boycott Puts It on ‘the Right Side of History’, Says PM

People attend a song protest concert against Israel at the Maria Theresien Square in the city center of Vienna, Austria, during the 70th Eurovision Song Contest week, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)
People attend a song protest concert against Israel at the Maria Theresien Square in the city center of Vienna, Austria, during the 70th Eurovision Song Contest week, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)
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Spain’s Eurovision Boycott Puts It on ‘the Right Side of History’, Says PM

People attend a song protest concert against Israel at the Maria Theresien Square in the city center of Vienna, Austria, during the 70th Eurovision Song Contest week, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)
People attend a song protest concert against Israel at the Maria Theresien Square in the city center of Vienna, Austria, during the 70th Eurovision Song Contest week, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP)

Spain's boycott of the Eurovision song contest over Israel's war in Gaza puts it "on the right side of history", Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, ahead of the final in Austria.

"In the face of illegal war and also genocide, silence is not an option. And we cannot remain indifferent to what continues to happen in Gaza and in Lebanon," Sanchez said in a video message posted on X.

"This year, therefore, will indeed be different. We will not be in Vienna, but we will do so with the conviction that we are on the right side of history."

Spain is one of the top financial contributors to Eurovision, the international song contest organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Israel's KAN public broadcaster is in the EBU, so Israeli acts participate in the event.

Spain is boycotting the event this year along with Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia over Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, which was launched in retaliation for the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel by the Palestinian movement Hamas.

The countries' position reflects a view that Israel reacted with disproportionate deadly force against Gaza's civilian population.

The International Criminal Court in 2024 issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel's offensive, including by intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war.

Sanchez, in his video, drew a parallel with Israel's war in Gaza and Russia's war on Ukraine.

"When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was excluded from the contest and Spain supported that decision," he said.

He added: "Those principles must also be applied when we talk about Israel. There cannot be double standards."

The Eurovision finals typically reach more than 150 million viewers around the world. Israel's act will be among those competing in the competition on Saturday.

Entertainment

Afrobeats’ Tiwa Savage Nurtures Africa’s Future Talent

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Afrobeats’ Tiwa Savage Nurtures Africa’s Future Talent

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage poses for a photograph at the Muson School of Music in Lagos, on April 24, 2026. (AFP)

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Tiwa Savage walked around a music center in Lagos, smiling, listening and giving words of encouragement to scores of young artists in an elite music training program.

The multi-talented Savage, a prominent face in Nigeria's flourishing music scene, recently brought together 100 young, aspiring artists -- selected from 2,000 applications -- for instrumental workshops, vocal coaching and masterclasses on the inner workings of the music industry.

The group is the first cohort of her newly established music foundation.

Savage is partnering with the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States, where she studied around two decades ago.

"When I'm no longer here, I'm praying that a recipient of this foundation will be the next Michael Jackson, the next Quincy Jones, the next Wizkid, the next great artist or producer or songwriter," said the artist, whose global hits include "Koroba" and "Kele Kele".

Born in Lagos 46 years ago as Tiwatope Omolara Savage and raised partly in Britain, she established herself in the early 2010s after returning to Nigeria.

She is one of the most influential female voices in Afrobeats, a genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Vocal drills, musical notes and frequent peals of laughter echoed from the classrooms where Berklee tutors worked with the students.

"I'm evolving as a beat maker and producer, and refining my piano artistry," said 24-year-old student Aliyu Olukoya, who called the experience "amazing".

The instructors from Berklee -- which is extending its academic program for the first time to the cultural behemoth that is Africa's most populous country -- adjusted and corrected the students as Savage watched closely.

"Being secure in who you are and what you have to offer, even in a competitive environment, is your superpower, and that's what we teach here," said vocal coach Nichelle J. Mungo, 51, whom Savage met at Berklee.

- 'Too good to just compete locally' -

Savage recalled seeing very few African students at the East Coast American college.

It was there that she started nurturing the idea of making it easier for young Africans to access high-level musical training.

"The problem isn't lack of talent or gift," she told AFP. "The problem is access -- access to education, music education in particular."

"As a musician in whatever capacity, you need to study the industry, especially the global industry, because we're too good to just compete locally," she said.

If Afrobeats is to match the staying power of R&B or rock'n'roll, Savage believes the entire ecosystem needs to become more professional.

"If we only focus on the artists, how are we going to sustain the industry for many, many years and decades to come?" she said, urging the professional development of producers, sound engineers, songwriters and marketers.

She also aims to raise the profile of talented artists who lack visibility due to limited resources, in a country marked by deep social inequalities.

"I see so much talent," she said, referring to already highly skilled musicians forced to practice without regular access to instruments.

Several young artists have already caught the attention of the Berklee professors who came to Nigeria to teach.

After their concert at the National Theater in Lagos, 18 students received scholarships to Berklee, with a total value of $2.1 million.

At the popular music hub in Lagos, the Muson Center, singer Irene Ugwuorah said that being one of the 100 artists selected for the new foundation was a "great opportunity".

"At every moment, at every turn, there's always something to learn. I'm already gaining a lot and I hope to use every single minute to gather as much knowledge as I can to help me grow as an artist," Ugwuorah said.

Savage's foundation provides the training for free and she hopes that will also make it accessible to people from other African countries.

"I definitely, definitely want to make this pan-African. It has to be pan-African. Talent doesn't stop in Nigeria. It's everywhere," she said.

Entertainment

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill Recordings Enter National Registry

US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)
US singer Taylor Swift arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. (AFP)

Albums and songs from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and The Go-Go’s are joining America’s audio canon.

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift’s blockbuster 2014 pop album “1989,” Beyoncé’s era-defining 2008 anthem “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Khan’s genre-blending hit “I Feel for You,” Vince Gill’s emotional ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain” and The Go-Go’s groundbreaking debut album “Beauty and the Beat.”

They were among the 25 recordings entering the archive in the class of 2026, acting Librarian of Congress Robert Newlen announced Thursday. The selections were chosen for their “cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage”, The Associated Press said.

“Music and recorded sound are essential, wonderful parts of our daily lives and our national heritage,” Newlen said in a statement. “The National Recording Registry works to preserve our national playlist for generations to come.”

Other recordings entering the registry include Ray Charles’ groundbreaking country crossover album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” Reba McEntire’s “Rumor Has It,” Rosanne Cash’s “The Wheel” and Weezer’s self-titled debut known as “The Blue Album.”

Classic singles from Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Byrds, José Feliciano and Paul Anka also earned inclusion.

Among the more unconventional selections are the soundtrack to the influential 1993 video game "Doom" and the radio broadcast of “The Fight of the Century,” the legendary 1971 heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The oldest recording in this year’s class is Spike Jones and His City Slickers’ 1944 single “Cocktails for Two.” The newest is Swift’s “1989.”

This year also marks the first recordings by Swift and Beyoncé selected for the registry. The Library of Congress said more than 3,000 public nominations were submitted for consideration this year.