Westlife releases a new song in Mandarin with the help of artificial intelligence

Westlife have released their new single in Mandarin.

The group used artificial intelligence to record a cover of Jason Zhang’s 2016 hit. Love + Couragecreated using the teaching software Kogou AIK.

“The reaction of the fans to our singing The ordinary street in Mandarin was really overwhelming and it just felt like this could be another fun thing for our Chinese fans,” said the You build me up Hitmaker.

“It took months to get it right because we wanted it to reflect our voices perfectly, and we’re thrilled with the final version.

“It’s incredibly exciting. We’re delighted that it’s one of Jason Zhang’s songs as we performed with him on a previous tour. We hope our Chinese fans love it!”

Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan did not sing the track themselves; instead, it was created using the world’s first multilingual AI singing technology that replicated their voices.

They were still involved in the process and the song turned out to be a hit: it was streamed over a million times in its first week.

Tencent Music Entertainment added: “Since the release of their album Wild Dreams in 2021, Westlife has further deepened its connection with China and Tencent Music Entertainment.

“In 2022, Westlife took its love for its Chinese fans to a new level by deeply participating in Tencent Music Entertainment Group’s annual non-profit program ‘If Music Has a Shape’ and demonstrating its love for its Chinese fans through the campaign.

“This ongoing mutual commitment is why we chose Westlife as our first international artist to collaborate with on releasing AI music.

“We hope that by using AI technology, we can bring Westlife ‘a little closer’ to its fans in China. This fits perfectly with Tencent Music Entertainment’s corporate mission of ‘creating endless possibilities with music and technology.'”