Robbie Williams has surprised fans by releasing his new album BRITPOP three weeks earlier than planned.
The unexpected drop came in the early hours of Friday morning, with the album artwork projected onto several famous London landmarks to mark the launch.
Originally due to be released in October, BRITPOP was pushed back to February, to avoid a clash with Taylor Swift’s Life Of A Showgirl, with Robbie admitting that he ‘couldn’t compete’ with the American star.’
The singer’s 13th studio album sees him leaning heavily into guitar-driven sounds inspired by the era that shaped his early solo ambitions.
Announcing the release, Robbie said: ‘You thought it was gonna be then… then we decided it wasn’t… and now I’ve decided it’s now. Ladies and Gentlemen: BRITPOP – the album.’
It follows 2019’s The Christmas Present and 2016’s non-festive The Heavy Entertainment Show.
Robbie Williams has surprised fans by releasing his new album BRITPOP three weeks earlier than planned (pictured in December)
The unexpected drop came in the early hours of Friday morning, with the album artwork projected onto several famous London landmarks to mark the launch
BRITPOP features singles Rocket, Spies, Human, Pretty Face and All My Life and boasts an eclectic lineup of collaborators.
Chris Martin of Coldplay, Gaz Coombes, Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi, Mexican pop duo Jesse and Joy, and former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow all feature.
Speaking previously about the inspiration behind the project, Robbie explained that BRITPOP is the album he always wanted to make after leaving Take That in 1995.
He said: ‘I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left Take That in 1995. It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British Music.
‘I’ve worked with some of my heroes on this album; it’s raw, there are more guitars and it’s an album that’s even more upbeat and anthemic than usual.
‘There’s some ‘Brit’ in there and there’s certainly some ‘pop’ too – I’m immensely proud of this as a body of work and I’m excited for fans to hear this album.’
If Robbie does top the charts with BRITPOP, he will draw level with The Beatles for the most UK chart‑topping albums.
The album’s artwork features the red tracksuit Robbie famously wore to Glastonbury Festival in 1995, where he partied hard with and briefly befriended Oasis frontman Liam, around the same time he quit boy band Take That.
Originally due to be released in October, Britpop was pushed back to February, to avoid a clash with Taylor Swift, with Robbie admitting that he ‘couldn’t compete’ with her
BRITPOP features singles Rocket, Spies, Human, Pretty Face and All My Life and boasts an eclectic lineup of collaborators
Speaking previously about the inspiration behind the project, Robbie explained that BRITPOP is the album he always wanted to make after leaving Take That in 1995
Yet relationships between Robbie and the siblings were sometimes strained, with Noel famously branding Robbie the ‘fat dancer from Take That’.
Despite trading insults over the years, Robbie has always loved Oasis’ music and has always admitted he would have preferred to be making that kind of music opposed to his band’s pop hits.
Robbie’s Britpop tour kicked off in Edinburgh on May 31 and will saw him travel to the likes of Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden.
He will next play Glasgow in February before also performing in Liverpool, London and Wolverhampton.
At these sold out shows he will play his debut album, Life Thru A Lens, and his most recent, BRITPOP, in full.
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