Keith Duffy is hoping his latest Boyzlife single with Brian McFadden becomes an anthem for the elderly during the coronavirus pandemic.
The pop duo is releasing You Needed Me, which was originally recorded by Boyzone in 1999, features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and appears on their forthcoming debut album, Strings Attached.
Duffy and McFadden have announced they are donating all the profits from the single to the charity Age UK.
The former Boyzone star said he wanted to let the elderly and vulnerable know they could find help amid the lockdown.
Speaking to PA News Duffy said: "We want to let people know that the elderly are there, and that people care, and that Age UK can fight your corner for you if you are elderly, and help you out if you are unwell.
"The lyrics lend themselves very well to reaching out and helping other people - picking somebody up when they are down, letting people know there is somebody out there who cares.
"That's the message we are putting out there, that's what this song does."
Duffy also revealed that recording the album, which they only finished weeks before the pandemic, had been a "very long but very worthwhile" process.
Ex-Westlife star McFadden added: "Right now the people who are being affected the most are the elderly.
"Boyzone goes back 26 years, so a lot of our fans who were maybe in their 40s when we started, they are now seen as elderly.
"We wanted to do something for them.
"The single was already coming out so we decided, 'Why not just give all the profits from this song to Age UK to try and help the elderly?'
"It's not always about the money. Sometimes it's about getting the message out there too."
You Needed Me is out now
