Where Was It Shot: Westlife – “What About Now”

Alright, does anyone remember Westlife? Yes, the Irish boy band that released dozens of cheesy love songs you grew up with. Aww or eww? Either way, here’s a fix for your millennial nostalgia: Westlife released a song called “What About Now” in 2009 and they filmed the music video here in Iceland.

You’re probably thinking boy band and Iceland—what a weird combination. It’s like eating cheetos with milk, or licking an ice cream dipped in soy sauce. Iceland is the land of quirky and unconventional musicians, but sometimes we’re graced with the presence of Irish gentlemen with broken hearts.

In the video, the band members sing while standing in the howling wind and snow near Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon in Vatnajökull National Park. “What if our love never went away? Baby, before it’s too late, what about now?” They were also on a glacier near the famous Eyjafjallajökull back in 2009. At some point the temperature dropped to -8°C, but the band were very professional and sang their hearts out in the freezing cold. Heartbreak and ice…come to think of it, they do work together.

The music video was directed by French-American director Philip Andelman. At the end of filming, the crew even shot some beautiful northern lights, the green, purple, blue and white colours lighting up in the sky while the band members stood in awe. Icelandic nature is so magical that it makes the cheesiest song not so cheesy anymore.