Keating comes of age

LONDON: Making the transition from manufactured pop music to something more credible has never been easy.

But, as George Michael and Robbie Williams have shown, pin-ups who cut their teeth in bubblegum bands can sometimes transform themselves into convincing singer- songwriters.

The latest to make the move is Ronan Keating. Best known as lead singer of anodyne Irish pop act Boyzone, the 38-year-old has been releasing solo albums since 2000, but the autobiographical Time Of My Life is his most blatant pitch yet for authenticity.

Acoustically driven and partly self-penned, his 10th solo effort is optimistic, but reflective.

This is a coming- of- age album on which six of the 12 songs were co-written by Keating and Scottish singer Daniel Healy. – Daily Mail

ALL GROWN UP: Ronan Keating.