Westlife’s first number one was knocked off top spot by Backstreet Boys, demonstrating the gulf in quality between glossy, Max Martin produced uber-pop and its rather limp and sickly British equivalent. So, for their second chart topping single, they took a leaf out of the American boyband playbook…
If I Let You Go, by Westlife (their 2nd of fourteen #1s)
1 week, from 15th – 22nd August 1999
First a disclaimer: I know Westlife are not British, and that calling an Irish act ‘British’ risks pissing off an entire nation, as well as ignoring a lot of recent, bloody history. But they were very popular in the UK, and we’re going to count them as one of us. We have a lot of Westlife number ones coming up, so it’s better to clarify things early on. Plus, geographically speaking, Ireland is part of the British Isles, so there.
To the music. ‘If I Let You Go’ is a much better song than ‘Swear it Again’. It sounds like it’s aimed at actual teenagers, not their aunties. I can imagine this being sung by Backstreet Boys, something I couldn’t say about Westlife’s debut hit. They’ve taken that faux hip-hop drumbeat which any pop song worth its salt was using in 1999, they’ve added a hugely effective bridge, and some classic boyband Oooh babys and Oh yeahs. Plus, we have a key change! Westlife were not often good; but when they were a key change was never far away.
Other enjoyable moments include the overblown drumbeat before the choruses, and the electric guitars that bring the song to something of a soaring climax. Electric guitars! Blimey. It’s all a bit… fun! Plus, it sounds as if the boys themselves are having a good time singing it, which always makes a song more enjoyable for the listener. I think we should take a moment to appreciate all this, knowing some of the horrors to come from these five lads.
Here I am, defending Westlife! I had mentioned in earlier comments that there were two Westlife songs I can tolerate. I wasn’t thinking of this one when I wrote that, and so file a third tune under ‘Westlife Songs I Don’t Mind’. It’s still a fairly basic pop song, but at least it’s not their usual syrupy crap. Or, rather, it is still their usual syrupy crap, but dressed up in a manner which could give Backstreet Boys a run for their money.
The UK Number Ones Blog 
Westlife were not often good; but when they were a key change was never far away. That’s a good line.
I didn’t know this one, but it’s pretty good.
Yeah, this does sound much more like the Backstreet Boys. Automatically, it makes it better than their first chart-topper since even a Xerox of that patented Max Martin sound is more lisentable than their usual pop ballads. It’s a pretty good song. You’re right – they sound like they’re actually enjoying themselves singing it. Probably happy to have a good song attached to their name.
Still, even with the BB influence, it’s still got that UK influence there. It’s a bit too…I dunno the right word, chipper? Too bright? A bit too bubblegum? It lacks that forceful edge and absolute command that even the Max Martin teen pop ballads had. Still, it’s a good song. I don’t expect to be saying that too often in the Westlife era.
I’m sure Westlife and their producers were eyeing the enormous sales the BBs and N’Sync were doing in the US (Millennium shipped 11 million units in the US in 1999, the most of any album ever, though it’s only Platinum certified in the UK, interesting, I guess the British teens preferred sappy pop ballads) with green envy in their eyes and decided to take their best shot at approximating that sound, maybe hoping for a shot at cracking the US market again.
I think what you mean is that no matter how much they tried to get that glossy American sound, it was still Westlife at the end of theday… Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Not heard this in 25 years! I can hear the Backstreet Boys vibes, and by their standards it’s fairly decent. It was their first top 20 track in my personal charts. They have actual top 10’s in their future for me: 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009 and they’ve even had a good track in 2022 (top 20-rated) so credit where credit’s due. None of them are bland ballads, though, so I don’t think we are going to disagree on much 🙂
Their two other #1s that I think I quite like are ‘Flying without Wings’ and ‘My Love’, but we’ll see how I feel after actually listening to them for the first time in decades. This one escaped my notice at the time, but it does stand up as a decent pop song.
It’s ok…it’s production sounds good anyway.
I’ve always liked this. It’s boppy. My second favourite of theirs would probably be ‘When You’re Looking Like That’ which oddly wasn’t released as a UK single, given it would have been an automatic #1.
Wiki claims When You’re Looking Like That as a double-A with Queen of my Heart, but it’s not listed on the Official Charts website, so I’ll have to skip it when the time comes… It’s a decent (upbeat!) tune though.
It’s a shame that a rare truly chart-worthy ‘double A’ didn’t get it’s own separate glory. Vis Angeleyes and Kylie’s Made In Heaven.