Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith pen songs for Boyzone

19 July 2017

Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith have written a song each for Boyzone's new album.

Boyzone

The Irish boyband will mark their 25th anniversary in 2018 with the release of their first record since 2013's 'BZ20' and singer Shane Lynch has revealed the chart-topping singer/songwriters have contributed to the record along with several other "new age pop stars".

Shane, 41 - who is joined by Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy and Michael Graham in the group - revealed: "It's all happening. We're recording pretty much whenever we can get to a studio.

"We have gathered a number of tracks.

"We're not finished yet, we are still harvesting. We have a track from Ed and one from Sam.

"We are also dealing with some of the guys who worked recently with UK artists from Emeli Sandé to Professor Green and Labrinth. New Wave artists, New Age pop stars."

The new record should by out by February next year and the 'No Matter What' group - which also included the late Stephen Gately until his death from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2009 - will be hitting the road in spring time.

Shane also teased that they are working on solo projects as well.

He told The Sun newspaper: "We drop an album between September and February and go on tour early spring into summer.

"It's all happening. We're recording pretty much whenever we can get to a studio.

"We are all floating around a bit doing individual projects. - some in London, some in Los Angeles, Ronan is in and out of Australia.

"Nowadays recording is brilliant because you don't actually have to be there, you can send files around the world."

'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker Ed performed at singer Ronan's wedding to Storm Uechtritz last year and had been desperate to work with the 26-year-old star.

He previously told BANG Showbiz: "Maybe down the road we could do a song together, we jammed the night of the wedding, we all got up on stage together and we were singing and it was wonderful. When we were on stage the atmosphere was just wonderful."

Boyzone and Westlife band members Keith and Brian McFadden respectively formed a supergroup last year, and will head out on a nationwide tour in April.