KULTURA / CULTURE
GUITAR-POWERED TIME MACHINE Robbie Williams is back in red
Britpop, set to be released on 10 th October, radiates with an energy that’s very reminiscent of Oasis and Blur, because Robbie has returned to his roots in the unforgettable ‘90s R obbie Williams’ 13 th studio album, Britpop, will hit the market on 10 th Octo- ber and largely represents the kind of music that the artist had wanted to record back in 1995, after his departure from the band Take That. However, that moment has only arrived now, three decades on. This album represents his most personal re- turn to his roots – loud, guitar-driven and nostalgic, but also packed with con- temporary references. The album’s lead single, Rocket, was re- leased in May and is punctuated with guitar riffs and charged with rock ener- gy, alongside the legendary guitar so- lo of Black Sabbath’s Tony Lommi. The single Spies, with its irresistible sum- mer nostalgia, was released in July, while August saw the release of the gen- tler and more emotional single Human, marked by a collaboration with Mex- ican duo Jesse & Joy. And they aren’t the only collaborators – the album also features Chris Martin (Coldplay), Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) and, somewhat surprisingly, former bandmate and rival Gary Barlow (Take That). The track en- titled Morrissey also serves to confirm that Robbie isn’t afraid to play around with his own idols. The artist himself says that he should have recorded this album back in 1995, when he performed at Glastonbury in his iconic red tracksuit. And that scene actually served as the inspiration for the album's visual identity, which screams “Britpop” just as loudly as the music. Alongside his major stage comeback
and a stadium tour that’s set to culmi- nate in Istanbul, Robbie has also opted to perform the smallest concert of his career to date. Specifically, on 9 th Octo- ber, just a day ahead of the album’s re- lease, he will perform at the legend- ary Dingwalls club in London’s Camden Town, in front of a mere 500 lucky peo- ple. This most intimate of shows will see him perform two albums in their entirety: his 1997 debut solo album Life Thru a Lens (featuring the mega-hit An- gels) and his new Britpop album. This event provides a chance for fans to see him as he was at the start – without big stadium sets and just with his voice, guitars and intimate eye contact. If this album also manages to top the
charts, Robbie will break the record by becoming the artist with the most #1 albums in the UK ever, totalling 16. He is currently the only solo artist to have 15 number one albums, equalling the achievements of the Beatles. He has even outdone Elvis Presley’s record of 13 chart-topping albums. If Britpop al- so hits number one, Robbie will be able to boast of having even beaten the Bea- tles, and that’s no mean feat! Britpop is more than a return to the past – it’s a time machine that Williams uses to fuse what he was with what he is today. He stands as living proof that charisma and the embers of the ‘90s still burn with the same fervour – and maybe even stronger.
48 | Muzika » Music
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