Better Man

Album: Spectrum (2019)
Charted: 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Westlife's Nicky Byrne once read that Ed Sheeran had grown up a fan of the boyband. So, when Westlife decided to record their first album in eight years, he thought there was a good chance he could persuade the English hitmaker to pen some material for them. Steve Mac, who had written several of Westlife's biggest hits, had been working with Sheeran, so Byrne spoke to him about a possible collaboration. Mac replied that not only was he interested, they had already written a couple of songs.

    Sheeran and Mac eventually penned five tracks for Spectrum. This classic old-school ballad with a modern twist was the first one they wrote for Westlife.
  • The 10-year-old Sheeran learned to play the guitar to Westlife's hit singles, many of which were written by Steve Mac. Said Westlife's Shane Filan to Apple Music: "When Ed met Steve for the first time, they were probably a bit in awe of each other. It was a perfect union for them to come together and write Westlife songs."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.