Wild Dreams is the twelfth studio album by Irish pop vocal band
Westlife. It was released on 26 November 2021 by
East West Records, their first release on the label.[4] The album was preceded by the lead single "Starlight", released on 14 October 2021. Its second single, "My Hero", was released on 5 November 2021.[5]Wild Dreams includes songwriting contributions from
Ed Sheeran ("My Hero") and
Amy Wadge ("Lifeline", "Rewind"), along with production from
Jamie Scott,
Rami Yacoub and
Steve Mac.
Background
Westlife recorded the album over an 18-month period and were "inspired by the challenges" of that time, a reference to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, the band described the album as "uplifting", explaining that it "captures the mood of the moment" and has "moments of reflection and is about new beginnings, hope and looking to the future".[6]
RTÉ editor Alan Corr called the album "another confection of airy, midtempo electro pop [...] earnest ballads and soft-focus pop anthems [...] They sound mostly reinvigorated on a set of 13 new songs that sees them further embrace grown-up pop and invite fresh song-writing talent on board to varying degrees of success."[1]