He spent 14 years in one of the world's biggest boybands and now has set out on a new musical chapter with his first solo musical offering in two years. With the release of his album Christmas, former Westlife star Mark Feehily has a busy festive season ahead as he joins Mariah Carey as a special guest on her All I want For Christmas tour this December.
Speaking to MailOnline, the Irish hitmaker discussed his upcoming jaunt on stage, his friendship with songstress Mariah and whether a Westlife reunion would be on the cards in 2018. Sligo native Mark revealed he was itching to release new music and when the We Belong Together singer approached him to join her during her two-night residency at London's The 02 he jumped at the chance.
The popstar recently hit headlines after he hilariously recalled how he spent a less than glamorous night with Mariah eating a Chinese takeaway in a Hackney. Although the evening is something fans wouldn't necessarily associate with the diva, Mark insisted that it was true to her down-to-earth nature which he has come to known since his band Westlife duetted with her in 2000.
He began: "As a fan of hers and someone that has met her and seen the real down-to-earth side of her, I'm always hearing people talk about the obvious Mariah's a diva and difficult. Obviously when I said that story I was doing a lot of interviews that day and everyone was asking 'What's the biggest diva thing she's ever done?' I just kind of felt saying, 'You know what, she's actually very down-to-earth and normal.' So I suppose, I kind of said the most normal things I had done with her and then it was the main part of the story."
Although successfully defending her down-to-earth nature, Mark admitted that he feared that his comments would come back to haunt him but rest assured he had no need to worry. "I was like 'Mariah Carey, please don't Google yourself until this story has gone'," he shared. "I was waiting for the phonecall going 'What the f***?'."
"It's all good, the person who's flat where the Chinese incident happened called me and said 'That was so funny, I remember that night so well.' We did sit around the floor, watching telly and eating Chinese, having a few drinks."
At the height of Westlife's fame, Mark got to duet with the American singer with his bandmates Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and then member Brian McFadden on a cover of the Phill Collin's classic Against All Odds. But Mark insisted that her laidback attitude is something he came to know early on in his career and was something he and his bandmates experienced on more than one occasion.
He shared: "That's a side me and the lads in Westlife would have experienced. The kind of public persona that's out there is of course this massive diva which is part of her. But she's got this down-to-earth normal side to her which we had quite a lot experience with. We were in the studio a lot with her in Italy for a few days and performed with her numerous times."
Adding: "She's literally sitting in the dressing room saying 'Will we grab some food?' 'Are we having a bottle of wine in the studio before we record some vocals?' She's so normal and down-to-earth New Yorker." With two nights alongside her in The O2 next month, Mark admitted that he was looking forward to seeing and spending time with the superstar.
"Through the years, she's been nothing but friendly to me," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing her, I haven't seen her in quite a while and I'm looking forward to seeing her and seeing her perform. Hopefully I'll get a minute to catch-up with her backstage."
Excited for his first ever festive album, Mark - who had a number of Christmas number ones with Westlife - revealed he started recording the album after Mariah approached him to join her on her UK Christmas tour. "I was at a point where I really wanted to put some music out," he said. "There's a part of me that feels so wrong that I haven't released anything in so long. I wasn't going to rush anything out for the sake of getting something out there. The other side of me really wanted to put something out for the fans that are out there waiting and not leaving it too long."
Adding: "It's been two years since my first album was released. There's a part of me that's starting to feel wrong inside that I haven't released anything in so long but I also didn't want to pressure myself to put out a brand new album of original songs so this whole Mariah thing created a platform to kill two birds with one stone. It means I don't have to rush out an original album, but it means I get something out there. It's quite fun, light-hearted and festive. For me, it's quite important for me to show that side of myself and also show that I'm in quite a good place in my life at the moment, I'm in a relationship." Continuing: "The Mariah gigs are the biggest things I have to thank for that, the Mariah gigs created this big platform that everything else has fallen around."
While he's kick starting his solo career again, Mark first found fame in Irish boyband Westlife and although the boys called it a day in 2011 after 14 years together fans still wait with bated breath when they'll reunite. Earlier this month their manager and X Factor judge Louis Walsh set the rumour mill into overdrive as he hinted that the band - who were whittled down to four members after Brian McFadden left in June 1998 - were to announce a reunion tour.
"I have to say when Louis (Walsh) said that (about the band) I started to get texts off aunties, uncles, cousins, my boyfriend's friends and family asking if it was true," he said. "It was the most heat a Westlife reunion story has got since we've split up. That's always a flattering idea to know theirs interest out there, it would be worse if noone batted an eye at it. I think we all look forward to when it happens but there's no plans whatsoever."
Adding: "It's only going happen and should only happen when we're ready and I don't think any of us are ready yet. As a collective we're not ready. There may come a time when one of us is more ready than others but it takes all four of us to be ready at the same time. I think it will be a little bit longer until all four of us are ready in tandem."
With Mark embarking on his solo career again, Shane enjoying the fruits of his own, Nicky a successful broadcaster in Ireland and new dad Kian welcoming his third child this week, baby boy Cobi - the pals aren't stuck being kept busy. And while a reunion is on the cards "one day", Mark explained that one reason behind their decision to split was to "preserve their friendships" and the magic that Westlife had that lasted nearly three times longer than One Direction's career as a band.
He discussed: "It's not like we're sitting at home looking for something to do, everybody is really busy. I think Westlife was amazing and I think one day it could be amazing again. There were many reasons why we called it a day but one of the main was to preserve our friendships and our own future. It was important for us to stop and the same for getting back together too soon otherwise it would have been pointless splitting up. Other pop bands don't last more than four or five years and I think that's a testament to how well we all get on. Even the best of friends don't spend that much time together so we had to stop before we stopped getting along."
Mark Feehily's album Christmas is out now. He will also perform at Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas tour on December 10 and 11 at London's O2.
(Daily Mail Online)
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