Single Selection: Shane Filan ~ Everything To Me

Ah, August Bank Holiday weekend is always a lovely treat isn't it? Extra days off work. (Hopefully) sunny skies, BBQ & Pimms. A Starbucks Frappucino whilst you catch up with old friends. Lots of pop acts playing Manchester pride as you shimmy along with a drag queen you've never met before. It's all so brilliant and full of hope & promise :) This year, the wait for the end of summer blow out is made even more essential by the fact that August 25th is also the day Shane Filan releases his debut solo single, Everything To Me (pre-order here). Of course, everyone will remember Shane from being one quarter of Britain's most enduring boy band, Westlife - and I have to say his solo single is a right little bobby dazzler of a summer pop tune. It's just blooming marvelous. Co-written by Shane with Nick Atkinson, and brilliantly produced by Martin Terefe (who has worked with my beloved Jason Mraz), the song acts a brilliant mission statement for the newly solo Shane. It certainly embraces his pop past with a charmingly bouncy chorus and endlessly memorable refrain, yet it also has this amazing organic feel that is a little bit folk-inspired, a little bit Ed Sheeran. It's set to a pleasantly chugging guitar which acts as the perfect backdrop for Shane's engaging vocal style and then all gets rather soaring in the chorus thanks to the backing harmonies of "oh, oh, oh" (which are all as inspiring and uplifting as the dreamy lyrics that Shane sings). When it all crescendos out of the earnest, heartfelt middle 8, it's one of those pop-goosebump moments that will stick with you for a long time. I love how Shane's voice seamlessly veers from vulnerable & quite tender honesty to assured optimism that has the listener willing him on to better things. Sterling stuff - can't wait to hear more from the fella (who is looking MIGHTY fine these days). Luckily, the single will accompany an EP and an album will be out later this year.

(PS X Factor dudes - this will sound just wizard on one of the live results shows. Jus' sayin')!