UK Boyband to Feature Gay Couple in Video
Monday 24th November 2008
Boyzone, one of the UK’s more popular boy bands, though with many members in their thirties they might be better classed as a man band, has released a video featuring a gay couple in a romantic moment, the world’s first such video from a mainstream boy band type group.
Boyzone’s move is not completely shocking. Singer Stephen Gately came out in 1999. It is he who will be pictured with another man in the upcoming video for the single Better. Gately is currently in a civil partnership with long-term partner Andrew Cowles.
Gately said he didn’t think that the video was a very big deal. He told the BBC: “For me, it’s just me being me and I don’t think there should be a real big issue about the whole thing anyway. I just think it's just a beautiful video and I think it works superbly for the song.”
He added: "I'm hoping this video will have a good, positive, all-round reaction."
Boyzone formed in 1993 and enjoyed success in the UK and Ireland. They released six #1 singles and four #1 albums, selling about 20 million albums altogether so far. They recently released a greatest hits album which included new material, with the most recent single “Love you anyway” becoming a top five hit, making it their 17th straight top five single.
The decision to show a gay couple in the video apparently involved the entire band. They voted unanimously to feature Gately paired off with another man, while the rest of the band will be paired off with women.
Gately told the BBC: "The lads were saying, 'You've got to do this'. They were pushing saying, 'This would be fantastic'. It's the first of its kind. That's why I went for it."
Boyzone will tour the UK and Ireland beginning in May 2009. The video for Better will be released in December.
Boyzone’s move is not completely shocking. Singer Stephen Gately came out in 1999. It is he who will be pictured with another man in the upcoming video for the single Better. Gately is currently in a civil partnership with long-term partner Andrew Cowles.
Gately said he didn’t think that the video was a very big deal. He told the BBC: “For me, it’s just me being me and I don’t think there should be a real big issue about the whole thing anyway. I just think it's just a beautiful video and I think it works superbly for the song.”
He added: "I'm hoping this video will have a good, positive, all-round reaction."
Boyzone formed in 1993 and enjoyed success in the UK and Ireland. They released six #1 singles and four #1 albums, selling about 20 million albums altogether so far. They recently released a greatest hits album which included new material, with the most recent single “Love you anyway” becoming a top five hit, making it their 17th straight top five single.
The decision to show a gay couple in the video apparently involved the entire band. They voted unanimously to feature Gately paired off with another man, while the rest of the band will be paired off with women.
Gately told the BBC: "The lads were saying, 'You've got to do this'. They were pushing saying, 'This would be fantastic'. It's the first of its kind. That's why I went for it."
Boyzone will tour the UK and Ireland beginning in May 2009. The video for Better will be released in December.
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BoyZone are not from the UK. They are from the Republic of Ireland.
(I hate that I care.)