best Il Divo songs (A-Z) ↓↓↓

Il Divo info & bio

Il Divo (Italian pronunciation: [il ˈdiːvo]; transl. "The Star") are a multinational classical crossover vocal group. Formed in the United Kingdom in 2003, it is a male quartet that was created and then promoted by British media magnate Simon Cowell for Syco Music, a record label that he had administered. The group currently consists of Swiss tenor Urs Bühler, American tenor David Miller, French tenor Sébastien Izambard, and American baritone Steven LaBrie. It previously included Spanish baritone Carlos Marín until his death in 2021 from COVID-19 and later replacement by LaBrie on a permanent basis in 2023.

As of 2021, the group has released ten studio albums: Il Divo (2004), The Christmas Collection (2005), Ancora (2005), Siempre (2006), The Promise (2008), Wicked Game (2011), A Musical Affair (2013), Amor & Pasión (2015), Timeless (2018), and For Once in My Life: A Celebration of Motown (2021); as well as a compilation album, The Greatest Hits (2012). Two other albums – An Evening with Il Divo: Live in Barcelona (2009) and Live in Japan (2014) – presented recordings of live concerts. The group has also collaborated with multiple other musical artists, with Barbra Streisand and Lea Salonga being examples.

Both the group's concerts and its studio releases are known for featuring a variety of languages. Examples include media in French (such as with "Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore"), in Italian (such as with "Nella Fantasia"), and in Spanish (such with "Isabel"), with most of Il Divo's performances involving the Romance languages. The vocalists have additionally attracted notice due to their public image; for instance, they have almost exclusively worn suits by Giorgio Armani during their concerts and other social affairs.

Since its inception, Il Divo has enjoyed significant commercial success, with the group selling over thirty million copies of their albums worldwide as of 2018. An Australian news article has noted that, "[w]hile other copycat" type "bands were formed after Il Divo’s success", "most [of them] have split" and additionally Il Divo stands out due to the vocalists proactive choices in managing their output, such as with the tenor Miller directing the music video for their song "Hola". With 160 certified gold and platinum hits in 35 countries, the group has pioneered the genre of operatic pop, or "popera", in classical crossover music.

Il Divo's live concerts sold over two million concert tickets worldwide just from the group's first four albums. In its first world tour, concerts in 69 cities in 18 countries were sold out.