‘Obvious’ mastered the Westlife formula but found itself overshadowed when Brian McFadden quit the group weeks after the single was released.
Steps – Words Are Not Enough
Coming off the back of a greatest hits collection and amid rumours of an impending split, Steps wouldn’t leave us with a ballad…would they?
*NSYNC – It’s Gonna Be Me
‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ siphoned the essence of *NSYNC’s ‘No Strings Attached album’ down into an immense three-and-a-half-minute pop package.
Steps – Here and Now
‘Here and Now’ was very much the silver lining to an ominous cloud that was starting to gather over Steps.
Celine Dion – That’s The Way It Is
She was synonymous with some of the biggest power ballads of the ’90s. However, Celine Dion’s final single of the decade was anything but…
LeAnn Rimes – Life Goes On
‘Life Goes On’ may have been one of the most pleasant coming-of-age anthems, but it wound up becoming one of the most controversial.
Five – Until The Time Is Through
They might have been pop’s biggest rebels in the late ’90s, but even Five didn’t defy convention as they released a slushy ballad just in time for Christmas.
Westlife – When You’re Looking Like That
‘When You’re Looking Like That’ is Westlife’s best single in every respect…except for the fact that it was never credited as a single in the UK at all.
Celine Dion – I’m Alive
‘I’m Alive’ was another epic movie soundtrack song from Celine Dion, deftly swapping icebergs for the antics of a plucky literary rodent.
D-Side – Invisible
D-Side aim for a striking pop metaphor on their second single ‘Invisible’…but it ends up sounding more like grounds for a restraining order
Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way
‘I Want It That Way’ was the culmination of the years that the Backstreet Boys had spent quietly growing their profile as the world’s biggest boyband
*NSYNC – Bye Bye Bye
Driven by events behind the scenes, ‘Bye Bye Bye’ defiantly positioned *NSYNC as survivors and relaunched them as an A-list pop act.