Winter Songs (Ronan Keating album)
| Winter Songs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 November 2009 | |||
| Length | 41:15 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Stephen Lipson | |||
| Ronan Keating chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Winter Songs | ||||
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Winter Songs (in Australia and New Zealand titled Stay)[1] is the sixth studio album released by Irish singer/songwriter and Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating. It was released by Polydor Records on 16 November 2009 in the UK and Ireland, debuting at number 16 and 12 in each respective album chart. The first single, a cover of Grammy Award-winning American country music duo Sugarland's hit "Stay", was released digitally on the same day.
Background
Winter Songs followed Keating's UK number-one album Songs for My Mother, released just six months earlier.[2][3] Capturin his personal memories of winter and Christmas,[2] the collection includes traditional holiday favorites songs as "Silent Night" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," alongside modern festive classics like Joni Mitchell's "River" and Sugarland's "Stay." Keating also recorded three originals songs, including "It's Only Christmas" and "Scars."[3] As with his previous album, Winter Songs was produced byStephen Lipson. Notably, the album includes the final studio recording of fellow Boyzone member Stephen Gately, who passed away shortly after its completion.[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [5] |
| laut.de | [6] |
Jackie Hayden from Hot Press Hayden praised Winter Songs as a touching tribute to Stephen Gately, highlighting his strong performances on well-known songs and his own originals. He noted a few missteps in production and song attribution but concluded that Keating has matured into a confident solo artist and all-round family entertainer.[7] BBC critic Mike Diver called Winter Songs a heartfelt, understated festive album where Keating's warm voice, personal song choices, and subtle arrangements create a sincere, reflective holiday collection.[8]
Jon O'Brien of AllMusic concluded that "despite a few flashes of inspiration, Winter Songs' tasteful but bland production, and its overreliance on cover versions, offer little new to make it stand out in an already crowded seasonal market."[5] laut.de editor Deborah Schmidt felt that with Winter Songs "has overreached a bit here with some songs that are true classics in their original form. Those familiar with the original versions will probably prefer them. Despite his admittedly nice voice, the singer simply cannot match the stature of artists like Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, or even Johnny Cash. Keating himself seems aware of this, as his winter songs come across as far too harmless and almost shy."[6]
Commercial performance
Winter Songs achieved moderate commercial success internationally, appearing on several national album charts. The album peaked at number 24 on the Australian Albums Chart,[9] number 73 on the German Albums Chart,[10] and reached number 12 in Ireland. In New Zealand (RMNZ), it peaked at number 25,[11] while in Scotland and the United Kingdom, it reached number 16.[12][13] On 22 July 2013, Winter Songs was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting sales of over 100,000 units.[14]
Track listing
All tracks produced by Stephen Lipson.[15]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Winter Song" | 4:18 | |
| 2. | "Stay" | Jennifer Nettles | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Scars" |
| 3:59 |
| 4. | "Homeward Bound" | Paul Simon | 3:14 |
| 5. | "River" | Joni Mitchell | 4:04 |
| 6. | "It's Only Christmas" | 3:24 | |
| 7. | "Little Drummer Boy" (guest vocals by Stephen Gately) |
| 3:13 |
| 8. | "Ring Them Bells" | Bob Dylan | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Caledonia" | Dougie MacLean[note 1] | 4:02 |
| 10. | "Silent Night" | Franz Gruber | 3:15 |
| 11. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 2:51 | |
| 12. | "I Won't Last a Day Without You" | 3:57 | |
| Total length: | 41:15 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "It's Only Christmas" (duet with Kate Ceberano) |
| 2:36 |
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] | 24 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 73 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) | 12 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] | 25 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] | 16 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 16 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Ronan Keating – Stay (CD, Album – Australia) at Discogs
- ^ a b Universal Music UK News
- ^ a b hmv.com: music: Winter Songs (2009)
- ^ Stephen Gately's last song was The Little Drummer Boy
- ^ a b O'Brien, Jon. "Winter Songs, Ronan Keating". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b Schmidt, Deborah. "Oh du langweilige ...!". laut.de (in German). Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Hayden, Jackie (27 November 2009). "Boyzone man grows up in public". Hot Press. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Diver, Mike (2009). "Boyzone man grows up in public". BBC. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Ronan Keating – Winter Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Ronan Keating – Winter Songs" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Charts.nz – Ronan Keating – Winter Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 22/11/2009 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Official Albums Chart on 22/11/2009 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Ronan Keating – Winter Songs". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Winter Songs Ronan Keating in the "Search:" field.
- ^ a b Winter Songs (booklet). Polydor Ltd. 2009.
Notes
External links
- Winter Songs at MusicBrainz (list of releases)