David K. Israel
Things considered a big deal in Europe but not in the States – Part 4: Robbie
by David K. Israel - November 5, 2007 - 1:58 AM

In case you’ve been asleep ‘til now, we’ve covered Nutella, Eurovision and the Smart Car thus far in this feature. Today, I thought we’d explore another European fav, Robbie Williams, aka Robbie.

Robbie-Live-8-1-721692.gifI probably wouldn’t even know about the popstar who’s sold “more albums in the U.K. than any other British solo artist in history” (according to Wiki) if I hadn’t spent a considerable amount of time in London over the years. But anyone who’s been on the other side of the pond once or twice knows it: Robbie is as big as Elvis once was over here and has the same beguiling effect on the ladies. We’ll address the issue of why he’s never landed in the U.S. in  a sec, but first, here’s some backstory and a couple sound clips:

Robbie began his career in the early 90s as an original member of the Brit boy band Take That, the U.K.’s wildly successful version of our New Kids on the Block. He left in the mid 90s and went solo, putting out his first big hit, “Millennium” in 1998. While not my cup of pop, I do appreciate the play on Nancy Sinatra’s Bond classic, “You Only Live Twice.” This clip I’ve put together has an excerpt from the Bond song and a short one from Robbie’s song back-to-back.

Here’s another soundbite from his monster single, “Let Love Be Your Energy” (which has always sounded to me like a Partridge Family number, though I can’t put my finger on which one).

robbie_williams.jpgRobbie could walk down the street here and nary a soul would recognize him. In the U.K., where 1.6 million tickets were sold in a single day after he announced his 2006 world tour (earning him a spot in The Guinness Book of World Records), it would be a free-for-all, with girls grabbing for every article of clothing (or even hair follicle).

So the question is: why? Any RW fans in the house who care to shine some light on this one? Any theories as to why he hasn’t landed here?

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (32)

  1. Robbie Williams is far too arrogant for the US Market, he is so much in love with himself that it’s sickening, and anyone who saw his “I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams!!” speech when EMI signed him up for £80 million will agree that he’s a tw*t. If Robbie was so great and pulling in the big bucks for EMI, why were they only valued at £3.2million when they were sold? As for comparing Robbie to Elvis, well that’s just plain ludicrous, as much as Robbie wants to be Elvis, he will never be as popular or sell anywhere near as many records, and he certainly won’t be worshipped 30 years after his death the way Elvis is. The reason Robbie won’t make a splash in the US is that he is an arrogant, camp and very cocky individual, all traits that I’ve never found to be accepted in the US in any market.

    posted by Rob on 11-5-2007 at 5:42 am

  2. I’m just your average American who has never heard any Britain-only music, and I remember a few years back really liking his stuff after hearing it on the radio. I remember Millennium but also there was at least one more… can’t recall the songs though. I know what he looks like too, and for someone who wasn’t allowed to watch MTV or VH1 growing up, either I bought something or he made some other appearances :)

    posted by Kelly on 11-5-2007 at 7:31 am

  3. Honestly? You’d probably hear the same thing about Justin Timerlake in the UK. My theory is that women associate him with Boy-band nostalgia and that he cut his solo act at precisely the right time to keep his career snowballing on a heaping pile of Estrogen. In America, soppy love-song singing, young, attractive men are a dime a dozen (Jason Mraz, Michael Buble — who I must admit, I am ardently in love with ;) –, The reunion of the Backstreet boys, Any random American Idol alumnus, on and on…), no one associates Robbie with those nostalgic “we’re back in highschool” feelings… so there’s no market for him because of saturation, he’s just another unremarkable singer.

    posted by Ashley on 11-5-2007 at 8:36 am

  4. I actually like Robbie. He has a good voice, and he proved that in his jazz album. He can be a little egoistic, but I’ve been following him since his Take That days. I guess it helps to live in the Commonwealth. Get the best of both US and UK music. Plus being in Asia we get J-Pop, K-Pop, Canto-Pop, Chinese-Pop and Bollywood music. Ah the joys…

    posted by gavin on 11-5-2007 at 8:42 am

  5. I like Robbie (and I live in the U.S.)I remember hearing his songs “Feel” and “Come Undone” a lot on the radio here. As far as the arrogance thing, we Americans, myself included, are more arrogant and selfish than anyone else anywhere, now or in the past.We seem to revel in it, so he fits right in.

    posted by crissysweets on 11-5-2007 at 9:11 am

  6. I like Robbie! Yeah, he is arrogant, cocky and vulgar beyond belief but then again so are a lot of stars these days. Plus, he is HOT! He´s actually well-known in South America with hits such as “Rock DJ” which is a fun tune to dance to. If I had to chose a bad-boy singer, I´d go for Robbie over Justin Timberlake any day.

    posted by GTT on 11-5-2007 at 9:20 am

  7. I found out about robbie when his single “rock dj” was getting some decent air time in the states… the video was totally awesome, though a lot of people were a bit creeped out by it. after that he kind of dropped off the US radar again though. He got noticed for a bit again when “Delovely” came out… he’s a great musician with a wonderful voice and a commanding presence, so I’m not completely sure why he isn’t more known… it is a pity though.

    posted by JessieK on 11-5-2007 at 10:30 am

  8. He did have two popular singles in the states a few years ago, but it seems he didnt stick.

    posted by Leah on 11-5-2007 at 10:59 am

  9. There are a miriad of reasons Robbie doesn’t cross-over well. But first let me state that I have been a fan of his since Millenium and the album it was on, The Ego Has Landed. Rock DJ is cool and I particularly like Lovelight. View it on YouTube, it’s cool. But anyway. Robbie does not “translate” well because his sound is not neccesarily original enough, and he is not “sexy” enough to make it on looks. I don’t think the cockiness is an issue. Look at all the cocky stars (mostly in sports) that we have here in the States. And in order to be a big hit here, usually you have to get in while you’re young. Notice how difficult it is for people in their 30s+ to suddenly become famous in sports or music. It’s a young person’s market. He has the fortune of being hot from his boy band days in Europe, so he gets to feed on that. Since he was not popular in the States then, it makes his music very difficult to become pervasive here.

    posted by Matt on 11-5-2007 at 11:09 am

  10. I read about RW in CMJ, saw the cover of “The Ego Has Landed,” laughed, pondered, and bought it. No regrets. The music isn’t going to change the world, but it’s catchy. You find yourself enjoying it and that’s what it’s for, right? I give RW a thumbs up.

    posted by Logo on 11-5-2007 at 12:25 pm

  11. “Rock DJ.” One of the most bizarre videos ever. I mean, he starts taking off his clothes and… you have to see it. That’s probably a huge reason why not.

    posted by Sillstaw on 11-5-2007 at 1:12 pm

  12. Robbie Williams is exactly what te US doesn’t need… another problematic popstar. Enough said.

    posted by KellyG on 11-5-2007 at 3:03 pm

  13. The aforementioned video to Rock DJ is absolutely amazing. I find it hysterical.

    posted by Aemi on 11-5-2007 at 4:57 pm

  14. Many years ago I was at the Hard Rock Cafe in London for party after a benefit concert for some world cause, now long forgotten. Most of the performers from the concert were there including Jimmy Buffett. I think his handler and I were the only people there who knew who he was. Just the same, I wouldn’t know who Robbie was if I ran right into him.

    posted by pam on 11-5-2007 at 5:21 pm

  15. Robbie began his attempt to crack the US in 1999, he was 25, so the argument that “over 30 is harder” doesn’t calculate, although I agree with that point of view, but here it doesn’t apply to Robbie. He failed in 1999, and again in 2000 when he released Rock DJ. In 2002 when EMI took him on board, it was heavily believed that the £80 million contract was a commitment from both EMI and Robbie to break him in the US market, however it failed once again and he didn’t even bother releasing Intensive Care or Rudebox there. I find that most Americans like their stars arrogant if they can actually back it up, for example if they’ve come from nothing to be the best of the best, they’ve earned some kind of right to be cocky, but what right does some British pop singer who no one has heard of have to be so arrogant in a country where he is a nobody? The truth is that Robbie failed to put in the work that is required to crack the US. Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, James Blunt and many other UK acts have spent months promoting and touring to have their music heard and accepted, something Robbie failed to do. Other than a few TV appearances (Leno being a complete embarrassment!!) he didn’t put in the effort. I am a Robbie fan, I own all his albums and enjoy them immensely, so this isn’t some hate campaign, I just think that he has failed in the US for the reasons I’ve stated above.

    posted by Rob on 11-5-2007 at 5:50 pm

  16. I have long been a fan of Brit bands that never made it big here and finally gave up trying (Suede and Pulp to name two) and I think it is because they are too fey. Robbie isn’t but I don’t remember to many aggressive promo spots for him over here either. I liked Rock DJ even though the “throw my flesh to the circling supermodels” video was a bit odd, but anyhoo.

    posted by Kelly P on 11-5-2007 at 6:03 pm

  17. Hey I see your blog made it to his page

    http://www.purerobbie.com

    nice site, loads of info on him.

    posted by Limbo on 11-16-2007 at 1:15 pm

  18. Rob didnt put in the effort that was needed to make him work in the U.S. its as simple as that and EMI failed to put it in there with him. It;s by no mean a lack of talent because he is a GREAT entertainer.

    posted by aiba on 11-16-2007 at 4:04 pm

  19. I have read the posts above and think none of you have mentioned the right reason.
    Rob said it in many interviews himself: when he is in LA he can live a life like a normal person, he isn’t recognised on the street, he can go where ever he wants to go and when he is in Europe he is a popstar and he’s followed by the pap everywhere.
    America is his way out of the mad world of a popstar.
    I have also read that some of you find him arrogant, I don’t share that opinion, if you want to know more about him look at http://www.purerobbie.com and you will see that he is a beautiful, caring and warm person.
    The arrogancy is just a stage-persona, it isn’t who he really is.

    posted by ellen on 11-16-2007 at 4:48 pm

  20. http://www.purerobbie.CON isn’t Rob’s website
    http://www.robbiewilliams.com is

    Beware of frauds, http://www.purerobbie.com is the biggest there is

    posted by Shell on 11-16-2007 at 4:59 pm

  21. If he wanted to make he could. As someone else mentioned who are more arrogant than Americans. I love his singing and humor. Love the Brit sound. And find me any celeb that doesnt have some level of arrogance

    posted by laura on 11-16-2007 at 5:00 pm

  22. Millennium wasn’t Robbie’s first hit. Angels was. Feel, Come Undone are others. Check them out on YouTube.
    As some already has said, Robbie decided that he didn’t want to break the US and stopped the promotion tour in 2002. It’s the only place he can live a normal life, and that’s what he’s been doing this year after the record breaking tour last year.

    BUT, he’s big in Mexico, South America, Australia, Asia, South Africa, and of course Europe.
    His concerts in Mexico last year actually made him top the list on biggest concerts in the US last year. Bigger than any of your US artists.

    He also won a Luna del Auditorio award for the best live Performance of pop in a foreign language, for his concerts in Mexico City 2006 that were part of his Close Encounter Tour. He was nominated among artists as Air Supply, Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff, Il Divo, James Blunt, Nelly Furtado, Pet Shop Boys and Toto.
    He also won an award for his latest album in Mexico.

    Robbie has released 10 albums. There is a lot for you to discover.

    posted by Marie on 11-16-2007 at 7:27 pm

  23. Edit:
    His concerts in Mexico last year actually made him top the list over the biggest concerts in NORTH AMERICA last year. Bigger than any of your US artists.

    posted by Marie on 11-17-2007 at 5:44 am

  24. That’s rich! It would seem he’s in the right place to be arrogant (Los Angeles) – small wonder he fits right in!!!
    Ellen’s post above is true – if he wanted to break into the american market he would, but why would he when its one of the few places he can live a ‘normal’ life?
    Rob is HUGE in Australia too and he can come and live here anytime! As he said at his Sydney concert in 06, if he ever gets kicked out of LA he’s coming to live in Sydney!!!

    posted by Nicole on 11-19-2007 at 11:39 pm

  25. Rob isn’t arrogant, far from it! But he knows how to get people going! 1. He didn’t want to break America enough. As he says, he’s had more success and has more money than could have dreamed of – ever. He’s happy with what he has which is an awful lot and in America he’s found a place where he can live relatively peacefully because he’s not so well known there. 2. The vast majority of Americans also don’t quite ‘get’ the British sense of irony and wit. Rob is very, very English. He’s complex, quick and clever and as I’ve witnessed so often the Americans are not too sure when he’s being serious or not and tend to take him seriously when he is obviously sending himself or someone else up. He’s a British national treasure, we are so pround of him and we adore him.

    posted by Simian on 11-23-2007 at 12:32 am

  26. “Shell Says:
    November 16th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
    http://www.purerobbie.CON isn’t Rob’s website
    http://www.robbiewilliams.com is

    Beware of frauds, http://www.purerobbie.com is the biggest there is”

    You’re right there – wasnt’t that purerobbie site forced by Robbie Williams’ official site to put out a disclaimer stating that it had no connection to Robbie at all after it had been implying all along that it had? Shocking exploitation of the guy, and these people were supposed to be his fans!

    Heed the advice – http://www.purerobbie.com – the biggest fraud out there! purerobbie.CON would have been a better name for it!

    Anyway – now the public service is out of the way – I’m on the east coast but my work takes me all over the world and I picked up on the “Robbie phenomenon” on my travels – I have all of his albums now and am converting my friends too. I can understand why people in the US wouldn’t get the guy’s humour, he seems to use that as a defense mechanism to stop people getting to the real him, but there is no doubt that he is a star in practically every other corner of the world – but his music is amazing, he is a fantastic lyricist. I kinda like the fact that he hasn’t gotten big over here, I get to keep him as my secret!

    posted by Toni on 11-23-2007 at 6:18 am

  27. Robbie is well aware of purerobbie.con. If you want to get into his good books sending your members to his house isn’t the brightest thing to do

    posted by Lisa on 11-25-2007 at 9:06 am

  28. Robbie Williams is magical ! His music is amazing and talent endless. The fact that he is british just adds to his appeal. He truly is a special human being with a fantastic sense of humor. Check him out on RobbieWilliams.com, or it’s your loss. BTW, purerobbie are supposed to be fans, I just call them intrusive, uninvited, but certainly insane!

    posted by Suzzie on 11-28-2007 at 10:58 pm

  29. http://www.purerobbie.com has always had the disclaimer stating it is a fan site and not part of rw.com

    They do not send people to his home and they have good relations with Rob’s management.

    The negative posts above were probably made by other fansite owners who have been attempting to bully the site staff for months simply because of its popularity.

    And these are supposed to be grown women….

    http://www.purerobbie.com is the best source for all things Robbie Williams. You’ll find his band members and associates activley participating, as well as 1000′s of fans, tribute acts, collaborators etc

    Please do not listen to the envious few, the staff over there are amazing and do not deserve this treatment

    but you just cant educate pork ;)

    posted by purerobbie.com on 1-13-2008 at 8:14 am

  30. Glad to see someone defending what I think is a brilliant site.

    I’ve seen similar comments on other fansites about Pure Robbie…. they do seem to come from other site owners too.

    You only have to look at the stats. PureRobbie gets hundreds of visitors every day, on other fansites there’s about 3.

    Get a life losers

    posted by Andrea on 1-13-2008 at 9:39 am

  31. No need to defend http://www.purerobbie.com its stats speak volumes and I’ve personally heard him sing its praises at LA Vale games.

    There’s no way his band members and friends would participate in it either,if it was a con, and they are.

    Go judge for yourself.

    ps….. how can something be a con that provides a good service and asks nothing in return?

    Like Alison said above, get a life.

    posted by Rob's dog on 4-4-2008 at 11:45 am

  32. rob is an honest person , his songs are mostly biographical .. about him ! & he’s ok to admit his mistakes infront of everyone ..
    and america wants someone who acts perfect , who acts like a ” celebrity ”
    & rob is not that kinda artist ..
    besides..it’s america’s loss ..
    coz robbie williams ..is the greatest entertainer without a doubt !

    posted by ole on 11-23-2008 at 6:00 am

Comment

commenting policy