Robbie Williams has reflected on his shock departure from Take That ahead of the release of Britpop, his first album of new material in nine years.
The Angels singer, 51, joined the chart-topping boy band in the 1990s, alongside Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald, and Jason Orange.
Take That had almost unparalleled success and left their mark on the UK charts forever, landing a whopping eight number one singles between 1993 and 1996.
But the good times couldn’t last, and Robbie sensationally left the group in 1995, devastating their fans so much that the Samaritans opened up a helpline.
As a solo artist, Robbie came into his own almost immediately, with his 1997 debut album Life Thru a Lens going straight to number one in the UK albums chart and a cover of George Michael’s Freedom becoming a hit.
He’s now revealed that upcoming studio release Britpop is closer in style to ‘the album he wanted to make’ upon leaving the group, which he appears to think didn’t go far enough.
Ahead of the release of his new single Spies, he said: ‘[With Britpop] 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.
‘The new record is raw, there are more guitars and it’s even more upbeat and anthemic than usual. I’m immensely proud of this as a body of work and I’m excited for fans to hear this album.’
The big singles from Life Thru a Lens paid tribute to the Britpop sound, with songs like Let Me Entertain You prioritising rock instrumentation over the pop ballads Take That had become known for.
From there, he became one of the most recognisable faces in British pop culture and eventually had his life story turned into musical biopic film Better Man.
His success as a solo artist ultimately led him back to Take That, when he briefly rejoined the reformed group for their 2010 album Progress and its subsequent tour.
But it appears that despite the fast and successful start to his solo career, Robbie may have wanted things to play out a little differently behind the scenes.
The Rock DJ hitmaker only left Take That after being reprimanded for partying with Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel of Oasis, of which Robbie was a huge admirer.
While Life Thru a Lens featured Oasis-inspired songs, like Lazy Days and Old Before I Die, the album contained a number of softer songs too – and it seems Robbie wanted things to be louder and heavier than they were.
In 2013, Robbie spoke about the album and its tour to BBC Radio 4’s Mastertapes series, saying: ‘I’m a cabaret artist. For about five minutes in 1997 I wished to be [Radiohead singer] Thom Yorke and Liam Gallagher.
It was ultimately the ballad Angels that became the biggest hit from the album, catapulting Robbie to international fame after its release as a single in late 1997.
However, it would take until his second album, I’ve Been Expecting You, for Robbie to land his first number one, with 1998 single Millennium – the song was co-written by Robbie’s frequent collaborator Guy Chambers.
While I’ve Been Expecting You again acknowledged the Britpop sound of Oasis, the album’s sound prioritised more pop-oriented instrumentation after the success of Angels.
Robbie’s album Britpop releases on October 10, 2025.
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