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Westlife has not managed success in America, although their debut single, "Swear It Again" was a minor hit on mainstream radio and MTV. Its video made MTV's TRL briefly, and it managed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 2000, going up to No. 20 on the chart. Their debut American album was also released in 2000, and although they have not released another one there since, that has not stopped thousands of Americans from becoming Westlife fans. And beyond Europe and the USA, Westlife's fan base is truly global, including Canada, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Like most other boy bands, Westlife is primarily marketed to teenage girls, but they have a large following among guys (approximately 20% of Westlife fans are male), and they have performed numerous times at gay venues in the UK. On August 19, 2005, bandmember Feehily came out as gay to the public, also announcing his relationship with Kevin McDaid of former boyband V. Although the band has enjoyed unprecedented success in the UK singles chart, many detractors argue it has been achieved by releasing bland unmemorable ballads and cover versions into a declining singles market. |
