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MADELINE GRESSEL


"I love singing more than anything in the world," professes Shane Filan in his Irish lilt. Filan, who performs in Hong Kong on September 29, was formerly a lead singer with wildly popular Irish boy band Westlife.
Westlife technically disbanded with a farewell concert at Dublin's Croke Park in 2012, although they had not released any fresh material since 2009.
Now 35, Filan has already experienced greater fame than most singers will enjoy in a lifetime. But he's only just beginning, embarking on a global journey to establish his solo career. "At the end of Westlife, I honestly wasn't ready to stop singing," says Filan. "I was 33 years old, too young to retire. Louis Walsh, formerly Westlife's manager, said he'd manage me if I wanted to go solo."

	There are a lot of important things in life, and money is not one of them
In November 2013, Filan released his first solo album, You and Me. Compared to Westlife's aridly harmonised pop hits, Filan's solo material has a gentle and earthy acoustic tone that's more in step with today's most popular music, including Jason Mraz and Passenger.
"The past year has been amazing," says Filan. "Coming out of a band as big as Westlife on my own was quite a scary task. It was a big challenge, but I had to give it 100 per cent."
After the dissolution of Westlife in 2012, Filan experienced a personal crisis of his own. A bad investment in Ireland left the singer bankrupt, and bereft of his claim to the €2.4 million (HK$24.1 million) windfall shared by the other members of Westlife at the band's end.
"It was a scary time and it really woke me up to how lucky I was to have been a part of Westlife. There are a lot of important things in life, and money is not one of them. You need enough, but a healthy family and a good marriage are more important," he says.
Filan credits the recovery of his strength and success to his wife of 10 years, Gillian, and the continued support of Walsh. But the Irishman also seems to run on the fuel of his own deep-rooted decency.
He's a notably kind man, humble and affable. He married his childhood sweetheart a decade ago and still calls her the love of his life. He adores his three kids, and he took his mother to meet Pope John Paul II. You can't help but root for him.
Writing his first album, Filan drew inspiration both from the pain of his financial collapse and the constant support that buoyed him. He co-wrote every song on Me and You. "I took to songwriting quite easily. It felt natural. I wanted to write songs about what made me happy. Sometimes things are bad, but once you get through it, you find you've grown," he says.
"The album is quite positive. It's about being loved, very much about being happy, and spreading the good word around the world. Love is an international language that everyone understands, no matter if you're from Hong Kong or Ireland."
His second album is still in the embryonic stage, but Filan hopes to capture that feel-good energy that characterises much of British pop these days. He dreams of finding "that song", the one "killer, killer ballad" that could catapult him to superstardom and earn him a place in the annals of pop history.
"My favourite song at the moment is John Legend's All of Me. It's an incredible song, one of the best ever written. Great voice, great vocals, great melody ... it's just the perfect song. That's the kind of song I want to find. Songs like that come along once in a lifetime — songs that move people beyond moving them. If it's meant to be, it will happen, but I'm going to search really hard for a song that good. If I find it, next year will be a very good year."
This year, Filan is embarking on a tour of the mainland, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. "I have a great history in Hong Kong — I've been there about five or six times. It's an incredible place to be. I'm only a year into my [solo] career, so performing in Hong Kong is very exciting. You have to spend time in Asia if you want to break into the market, and I'm going to work hard to do that."
On tour, fans can expect a mix of solo material and Westlife hits, plus a smattering of pop covers, such as Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines. "I owe so much to Westlife. If I did a concert without Westlife songs, I think fans would be very disappointed."
Filan has garnered comparison to the likes of Michael Bublé and Ed Sheeran, but he's intent on steering his own course. "Bublé, Timberlake — they're at the top of their game; great singers with great songs. I admire and envy that. It makes me hungry to be better. The first album was great and I'm proud of it, but now I want to be better, a lot better.
"If you want to be up there competing with people like that, you've got to work harder. I know I can sing; singing for me is like breathing. But I want to be the best I can possibly be, and I don't think I'm anywhere near that at the moment. I'm only just getting started."
Shane Filan, September 29, 8pm, AsiaWorld-Expo, HK International Airport, Lantau, HK$480-HK$880, HK Ticketing. Inquiries: 2877 8260


Former Westlife member Shane Filan loves singing, but sees room for improvement

Shane Filan

Shane Filan and with Westlife band members Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne in 2004.

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Former Westlife singer Shane Filan is searching for a 'killer ballad' to cap his solo career
