Westlife - Better Man

Buy Better Man here (Amazon GB)

Hello My Love was a more triumphant return than most people realise. It was not only a rather lovely contemporary interpretation of their classic sound, it was a rather enduring sales hit too (not always reflected in a chart with a healthy weighting given to streaming). It made number two on the official single SALES chart and is still lingering just outside the top 40 after 11 weeks. It is easy to assume that single number two from the reunited Westlife will have the same sort of success. Better Man (once again penned by Ed Sheeran alongside Steve Mac and Fred Gibson) is a more traditional Westlife ballad, but the type which has been missing from our radios in recent years so it is a welcome return which suddenly feels fresh and inviting all over again. There is a reason songs like this achieve "classic ballad" status - the tangible stir of emotions conveyed in the lyrics and delivered in heartfelt vocals; textured harmonies which emphasise the pulsing soul of the song; those resonant piano chords dancing elegantly alongside the melody - all coalesce to wrap around you like a hug from an old friend. And in a way, that is what this song is - an exploration of why a relationship has fallen apart, the desolate hurt that ensues and the aching commitment to making it right if given one more chance. This is what Westlife excel at - bringing your own memories and experiences to life in eloquent ways you wish you had the ability to express, set to melodies that stay with you long after the music has ended. You feel like each of the lads taps into their own personal journey to imbue their singing with a sense of anguish that is tinged with the hope of a brighter tomorrow. Having that you-raise-me-up style key change after the bridge certainly has the dramatic effect intended. If you want to know what makes a man, it is singing through his woes to a song as utterly charming and soul-searching as this one. Lush.

Top 25 songs of the week:

25 ~ Westlife, Better Man (NE)
24 ~ Westlife, Hello My Love
23 ~ Ed Drewett, So Long
22 ~ Ben Davidson, No One Knows
21 ~ Simon Curtis, Love
20 ~ Sergey Lazarev, Scream
19 ~ Fly By Midnight, Lovely
18 ~ Emma Bunton, Baby Please Don't Stop
17 ~ Mans Zelmerlow ft Dotter, Walk With Me
16 ~ Alphabeat, Shadows
15 ~ Maddie Poppe, First Aid Kit
14 ~ Take That, Spin
13 ~ Olly Murs, Feel The Same
12 ~ Kylie Minogue, Sincerely Yours
11 ~ NKOTB, Boys In The Band
10 ~ John Lundvik, Too Late For Love
09 ~ Bananarama, Stuff Like That
08 ~ The Overtones, By My Side
07 ~ Hazell Dean, Heavenly
06 ~ Rozalla, Turn On The Lights
05 ~ The Lovers of Valdaro, Somebody Wants
04 ~ Claire Richards, 7 Billion
03 ~ Color, Love Feels
02 ~ Sean Smith, Do Or Die
01 ~ Will Young, All The Songs (NE/1 week)