Robbie Williams Reflects on Success and Resilience in New Interview

Fri Feb 06 2026 00:48:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The iconic singer Robbie Williams discusses his remarkable journey in music, his recent album 'Britpop', and his thoughts on British self-devaluation during an exclusive interview.

In an intimate interview, Robbie Williams shares reflections on his three-decade-long music career, emphasizing the need to embrace his own success. He discusses his new album 'Britpop', his experiences of joy amid depression during the Britpop era, and looks forward to his upcoming tour. Emphasizing a positive outlook on life now, he also shares aspirations for future projects, including creating entertainment venues and institutions.

After more than three decades in entertainment, Robbie Williams is back on the road and ready to celebrate.

His new album, 'Britpop', is his 16th number one, breaking the previous record set by the Beatles. The singer, whose Long 90s tour begins this week, is taking a moment to mark his achievement.

I think as British people we're very good at piercing the balloon of our own success and undercutting it and devaluing ourselves, he tells the BBC. It's what we do best. In many ways it's why we're great. With this one, I really want to let it sink in and I really want to stand in the middle of it and go, 'OK, success, do your thing to me'.

The tour will take in smaller venues, the kind he would have played at the start of his solo stardom, and he claims that 'Britpop' is the album he envisioned making right after leaving Take That. The record features collaborations with musical heavyweights, including former bandmate Gary Barlow and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.

However, looking back, Williams admits he experienced a tumultuous emotional journey: I was going through my own mental illness... they can't experience joy from any of it. But I look back and think, what a decade. The last great decade for popular culture. He emphasizes that the 90s were iconic, contrasting it with the current musical landscape, which he describes as “vanilla.”

Williams shares that parenthood has brought clarity and happiness to his life, stating, “The world started to make sense because I’d been running away from responsibility and I should have been running towards it.” His renewed perspective comes after a turbulent relationship with the British press, which he now feels liberated from.

Discussing the darker side of fame, he reflects on how social media could have severely impacted him during his rise to stardom. He expresses gratitude for not facing that scrutiny back then.

As for the future, Williams has ambitions of opening hotels featuring his venues and establishing a creative educational institution. He laughs reminiscing about the day Take That split as he was simply buying a toy from Harrods, underscoring his humble beginnings. With a cheerful spirit, Williams is primed for his tour and possibly more collaborations with his old bandmates.

'Britpop' by Robbie Williams is out now, and the Long 90s tour began earlier this week.