By Neil McCormick

16 Jan 2026

BRITPOP

Rob­bie Wil­li­ams

★★★★★

was the biggest Brit­ish star of his time, an imper­ial era that coursed through the second half of the 1990s and stomped all over the nought­ies. His first album of ori­ginal mater­ial in 10 years is not so much an attempt to reclaim that crown as to rewrite his­tory. Cheekily titled BRITPOP, it con­jures an altern­at­ive timeline in which the former boy­band pin-up was right at the heart of Cool Brit­an­nia’s gui­tar band revival.

Last year, the block­buster reunion of Oasis ignited Brit­pop nos­tal­gia 30 years since its mid-90s high point. It was also Wil­li­ams’s 30-year solo anniversary, a rebel­lion against the pop con­form­ity of Take That pres­aged by hanging out with Oasis at Gla­ston­bury in 1995. It is a moment cel­eb­rated and mocked on the album cover, which fea­tures a paint­ing of the then 21-year-old Wil­li­ams being van­dal­ised by anti-pop pro­test­ers.

Dial­ling up the dis­tor­ted gui­tars to 11, this is the class clown role­play­ing at being one of the cool kids. It could be con­strued as a trib­ute to Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede but, mainly, it’s a fantasy ful­fil­ment of the dreams of his exuber­ant younger self. “What a time to be alive!” he bel­lows on open­ing track Rocket, fired up by Black Sab­bath gui­tar­ist Tony Iommi’s sear­ing dis­tor­ted solos. “I’m still cocky!” he trumps on the amped-up glam rock of Cocky, backed by Gaz Coombes from Super­grass. “Embrace the mad­ness,” he pro­poses amid the stream of con­scious rock-rap gib­ber­ish of Bite Your Tongue. The nakedly auto­bi­o­graph­ical All My Life is pure Oasis in its shift from sens­it­ive bal­lad to over­charged, roofto­prais­ing anthem, in which Wil­li­ams brays: “I’ve been crazy all my life.”

The whole album is a lot of fun, with enough non­sense catch­phrases and lusty sin­galong chor­uses to make Noel Galla­gher ques­tion whether he ever needs to bother writ­ing another song. But it is at its best when he reins in the bluster to prod his own sens­it­ive parts, on dream­ier and more intro­spect­ive tracks Human and Pocket Rocket.

In a Net­flix doc­u­ment­ary about Take That released next week, front­man Gary Bar­low admits he would brush off the young­est mem­ber of the boy­band whenever Wil­li­ams would come to him with songs that “soun­ded like Oasis”. I doubt that the pro­spect of Bar­low and Wil­li­ams col­lab­or­at­ing on a trib­ute to mav­er­ick indie icon Mor­ris­sey was on any­one’s Take That bingo card. Music­ally, though, the pro­sa­ic­ally titled Mor­ris­sey makes no attempt to emu­late The Smiths singer’s style, instead offer­ing smoothly plan­gent elec­tro­pop about music as a vehicle for escap­ing feel­ings of inad­equacy.

BRITPOP’s standout is It’s OK Until the Drugs Stop Work­ing, which almost recon­ciles all Wil­li­ams’s dis­par­ate instincts. It boasts the expans­ive melody of a Jimmy Webb clas­sic, with big Phil Spector tim­pani and a lav­ish orches­tra­tion, as Wil­li­ams goes into full Scott Walker croon con­jur­ing the hor­rors of a post-binge comedown. You can ima­gine Jar­vis Cocker being proud to claim this one.

BRITPOP may be too old fash­ioned to put the 51-year-old Wil­li­ams back on the pop throne, but if it had come out in 1995, it might be coun­ted as a vin­tage Brit­pop clas­sic by now.

Released on Columbia on Feb 6

PressReader.com | Rob­bie Wil­li­ams sounds like Oasis and Blur’s love child

This should have been released as a single ..

Nice video .. Thanks to https://www.youtube.com/@TZMPaquette

ROBBIE WILLIAMS, song 'Morrissey' - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL

Edited January 17Jan 17 by Sydney11

I'm so enjoying reading all these wonderful reviews. Thanks for posting them all up Tess. 😀 I like that the reviews reflect that even if you may not like his style - he is always authentic and true to himself. His lyrics come from his own experiences and are heartfelt.

I listened to the album today - I'm really enjoying the high energy sound of this album.

My favourites so far are Spies (I think the lyric "shut your month and fight it" would make a wonderful tattoo 😉. I love Human, Morrisey and You.

I like hearing the GB vocals on Morrissey. That gave me a warm little glow. 😀

This album reminds me a lot of UTR1 in it's sound and I think as I listen to it further it is going to grow and grow.

Having listened now, I can understand why in the live gigs it is going to be sandwiched together with LTAL - they will sound beautifully complimentary to each other.

Well done Rob -it was worth waiting all this time for -I hope he's enjoying the reviews and fingers crossed for some decent sales figures ❤️

I went into listening to this album with some initial trepidation, because the britpop genre isn't really my cup of tea by and large... but I ended up being pleasantly surprised! I think Robbie has nailed that mid-90s sound, and it's nicely nostalgic. I don't think it's simply a pastiche though, Robbie does put his own stamp on it. There's a smattering of witty lyrics that are unmistakably him. I also feared that the album might be a bit of a forgettable dirge in his attempt to land on that era's sound, but there's actually lots of catchy melodies. My favourite song might be 'All My Life' on first listen. I quite like when the album steps away from the britpop vibes though, like on 'Morrissey'.

Currently, BRITPOP is his best reviewed album according to Metacritic (his first two albums, and Swing When You're Winning, don't have scores there though).

74 - Britpop

69 - Sing When You're Winning

65 - Take the Crown

64 - Intensive Care

64 - Reality Killed the Video Star

59 - The Heavy Entertainment Show

58 - Swings Both Ways

53 - Escapology

53 - Rudebox

52 - The Christmas Present

I love the album and reviews

Hey guys,

Stumbled upon the forum when researching for our Britpop episodes! Not sure why I haven't before.

Might pop in more often.

Thanks for sharing our podcast stuff, appreciate it.

Loving listening to Britpop!

Lucy x

Hi Lucy,

Nice to see you here :)

Alex

8 minutes ago, Rewindrobbie said:

Hey guys,

Stumbled upon the forum when researching for our Britpop episodes! Not sure why I haven't before.

Might pop in more often.

Thanks for sharing our podcast stuff, appreciate it.

Loving listening to Britpop!

Lucy x

Lovely to see you here Lucy. We have been promoting your Podcast since the beginning & really love it. Looking forward to the Britpop episode.

Sydney ( Tess )

1 minute ago, Sydney11 said:

Lovely to see you here Lucy. We have been promoting your Podcast since the beginning & really love it. Looking forward to the Britpop episode.

Sydney ( Tess )

Thanks Tess!

Truly appreciate it, and embarrassed not to have joined sooner!

We'll be covering Britpop across 3 episodes I think. Too exciting to have new music to talk about and want to make the most of it. Who knows how long we'll have to wait for the next album. 😁

22 minutes ago, Rewindrobbie said:

Thanks Tess!

Truly appreciate it, and embarrassed not to have joined sooner!

We'll be covering Britpop across 3 episodes I think. Too exciting to have new music to talk about and want to make the most of it. Who knows how long we'll have to wait for the next album. 😁

Well this album was worth the wait for sure . Listening to his UTR series I had the feeling he had something good in his back pocket but was probably too scared to go for it .

Delighted to see that they provided the Album Credits & Lyrics on the official website.

Link to site below :

BRITPOP - ALBUM CREDITS & LYRICS – Robbie Williams

Edited January 18Jan 18 by Sydney11

A recent review:

Entertainment Focus

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BR...

‘BRITPOP’ is an interesting record and the sound definitely suits Williams.

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 2026

Entertainment Focus

Home Music Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

Music

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 202609

Robbie Williams - BRITPOP

Credit: Album cover photography by Julian Broad; painting by Kate Oleska based on the photo by Mick Hutson

The road to Robbie Williams’ first new studio album since 2019’s ‘The Christmas Present’ has been quite an interesting one. Originally announced for release in October 2025, ‘BRITPOP’ was pushed back to 6th February 2026 to avoid having to compete with Taylor Swift’s hugely anticipated ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album. Williams confirmed that during a show at Dingwalls last October stating that he wanted to achieve his 16th number one album. Oddly, Williams then decided to surprise release the album digitally on Friday, with the physical formats following on 6th February, as planned. Quite why that decision was made hasn’t been confirmed, but you’d think splitting the digital and physical releases would hamper, not improve his chances. I guess time will tell.

Despite the movement around the release date, ‘BRITPOP’ promises to return Williams to the sound that he launched himself with in 1997, when he released his debut solo album ‘Life Thru a Lens’. The album originally looked like it was going to flop, hitting 11 on the charts in its first week, producing three singles – ‘Old Before I Die’, ‘Lazy Days’ and ‘South of the Border’ – which enjoyed varying degrees of success. It was fourth single ‘Angels’ that turned things around and final single ‘Let Me Entertain You’ that contributed to the album eventually hitting number one and selling over 2.1 million copies in the UK alone.

The sound for that record moved Williams mostly away from pop and closer to rock, and you got the feeling he wanted to be more like the Britpop stars of the time, than a mainstream pop artist. With ‘BRITPOP’ he gets his chance, revisiting the sound that defined the 90s and making the album he claims he wanted to make after leaving Take That in 1995. At a time when Britpop is having somewhat of a resurgence thanks to the triumphant return of Oasis last year, Williams could be about to have his biggest album in years.

BRITPOP’ is a lean record, clocking in at 38 minutes, very much embodying the 90s trend for albums. It opens with the frenetic ‘Rocket’ featuring Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi and it’s a storming start to an album that could well be Williams’ most interesting in years. The tempo slows down a little for ‘Spies’, a song that recalls the guitar-driven indie-pop of the likes of Ash, with Williams delivering a strong vocal. Williams’ knack for a big chorus is present on this track, and it sits proudly among some of his best work. ‘Pretty Face’ ups the tempo again with crunching electric guitars driving a melody punctuated by a strong beat. It’s fair to assume that the song is about Williams’ wife Ayda Field.

Always one to take the listener by surprise, Williams delivers an attitude-filled rock track with spoken word verses and a big chorus on ‘Bite Your Tongue’. For ‘Cocky’, Williams channels Oasis, doing a very good Liam Gallagher impression as he elongates his vowels as a bouncy beat provides a suitable backing. I can imagine this one being a big hit live thanks to its sing-a-long chorus. ‘All My Life’ could have been taken from ‘Life Thru a Lens’, perfectly emulating the sound that Williams first launched with, while ‘Human’ featuring Jesse & Joy is one of the album’s softer moments that is a little folkier than the rest of the songs here.

One of the big draws on the record will no doubt be ‘Morrissey’, a collaboration between Williams and his former bandmate Gary Barlow. Using the iconic singer as inspiration for an electro-ballad about loneliness, the song proves to be one of the standout moments on the record. You can hear Barlow’s influence (and his vocals, I’m fairly sure) throughout the track. As the album moves into its final moments, William brings his 90s swagger back on the bravado-filled ‘You’ and draws influence from Pulp and Suede on the fantastic “It’s OK Until the Drugs Stop Working”. The album draws to a close with the ballad ‘Pocket Rocket’, which is surprisingly ethereal and dreamy. It’s a sedate end to an album that bounces around with plenty of energy.

BRITPOP’ is an interesting record and the sound definitely suits Williams. He’s always at his best when he’s unleashed, and despite there being plenty of introspective moments here, this album feels like the most authentic Robbie record we’ve heard in a while. ‘BRITPOP’ will continue Williams’ legacy as one of the most successful and popular British singers of all-time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he clinches himself that 16^th number one record.

Track list: 1. Rocket (feat. Tony Iommi) 2. Spies 3. Pretty Face 4. Bite Your Tongue 5. Cocky 6. All My Life 7. Human (feat. Jesse & Joy) 8. Morrissey 9. You 10. It’s OK Until The Drugs Stop Working 11. Pocket Rocket Record label: Sony Music Release date: 16^th January 2026 Buy ‘BRITPOP’ now

14 minutes ago, Better Man said:

A recent review:

Entertainment Focus

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BR...

‘BRITPOP’ is an interesting record and the sound definitely suits Williams.

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 2026

Entertainment Focus

Home Music Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

Music

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 202609

Robbie Williams - BRITPOP

Credit: Album cover photography by Julian Broad; painting by Kate Oleska based on the photo by Mick Hutson

Oddly, Williams then decided to surprise release the album digitally on Friday, with the physical formats following on 6th February, as planned. Quite why that decision was made hasn’t been confirmed, but you’d think splitting the digital and physical releases would hamper, not improve his chances. I guess time will tell.

I thought that was odd as well. I am not 100% Aux-fait as to how the charts work anyway so I guess I wait & see.

31 minutes ago, Better Man said:

A recent review:

Entertainment Focus

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BR...

‘BRITPOP’ is an interesting record and the sound definitely suits Williams.

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 2026

Entertainment Focus

Home Music Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

Music

Review: Robbie Williams is unleashed and energised on ‘BRITPOP’

By Pip Ellwood-Hughes- January 18, 202609

Robbie Williams - BRITPOP

Credit: Album cover photography by Julian Broad; painting by Kate Oleska based on the photo by Mick Hutson

The road to Robbie Williams’ first new studio album since 2019’s ‘The Christmas Present’ has been quite an interesting one. Originally announced for release in October 2025, ‘BRITPOP’ was pushed back to 6th February 2026 to avoid having to compete with Taylor Swift’s hugely anticipated ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album. Williams confirmed that during a show at Dingwalls last October stating that he wanted to achieve his 16th number one album. Oddly, Williams then decided to surprise release the album digitally on Friday, with the physical formats following on 6th February, as planned. Quite why that decision was made hasn’t been confirmed, but you’d think splitting the digital and physical releases would hamper, not improve his chances. I guess time will tell.

Despite the movement around the release date, ‘BRITPOP’ promises to return Williams to the sound that he launched himself with in 1997, when he released his debut solo album ‘Life Thru a Lens’. The album originally looked like it was going to flop, hitting 11 on the charts in its first week, producing three singles – ‘Old Before I Die’, ‘Lazy Days’ and ‘South of the Border’ – which enjoyed varying degrees of success. It was fourth single ‘Angels’ that turned things around and final single ‘Let Me Entertain You’ that contributed to the album eventually hitting number one and selling over 2.1 million copies in the UK alone.

The sound for that record moved Williams mostly away from pop and closer to rock, and you got the feeling he wanted to be more like the Britpop stars of the time, than a mainstream pop artist. With ‘BRITPOP’ he gets his chance, revisiting the sound that defined the 90s and making the album he claims he wanted to make after leaving Take That in 1995. At a time when Britpop is having somewhat of a resurgence thanks to the triumphant return of Oasis last year, Williams could be about to have his biggest album in years.

BRITPOP’ is a lean record, clocking in at 38 minutes, very much embodying the 90s trend for albums. It opens with the frenetic ‘Rocket’ featuring Black Sabbath’s Tommy Iommi and it’s a storming start to an album that could well be Williams’ most interesting in years. The tempo slows down a little for ‘Spies’, a song that recalls the guitar-driven indie-pop of the likes of Ash, with Williams delivering a strong vocal. Williams’ knack for a big chorus is present on this track, and it sits proudly among some of his best work. ‘Pretty Face’ ups the tempo again with crunching electric guitars driving a melody punctuated by a strong beat. It’s fair to assume that the song is about Williams’ wife Ayda Field.

Always one to take the listener by surprise, Williams delivers an attitude-filled rock track with spoken word verses and a big chorus on ‘Bite Your Tongue’. For ‘Cocky’, Williams channels Oasis, doing a very good Liam Gallagher impression as he elongates his vowels as a bouncy beat provides a suitable backing. I can imagine this one being a big hit live thanks to its sing-a-long chorus. ‘All My Life’ could have been taken from ‘Life Thru a Lens’, perfectly emulating the sound that Williams first launched with, while ‘Human’ featuring Jesse & Joy is one of the album’s softer moments that is a little folkier than the rest of the songs here.

One of the big draws on the record will no doubt be ‘Morrissey’, a collaboration between Williams and his former bandmate Gary Barlow. Using the iconic singer as inspiration for an electro-ballad about loneliness, the song proves to be one of the standout moments on the record. You can hear Barlow’s influence (and his vocals, I’m fairly sure) throughout the track. As the album moves into its final moments, William brings his 90s swagger back on the bravado-filled ‘You’ and draws influence from Pulp and Suede on the fantastic “It’s OK Until the Drugs Stop Working”. The album draws to a close with the ballad ‘Pocket Rocket’, which is surprisingly ethereal and dreamy. It’s a sedate end to an album that bounces around with plenty of energy.

BRITPOP’ is an interesting record and the sound definitely suits Williams. He’s always at his best when he’s unleashed, and despite there being plenty of introspective moments here, this album feels like the most authentic Robbie record we’ve heard in a while. ‘BRITPOP’ will continue Williams’ legacy as one of the most successful and popular British singers of all-time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he clinches himself that 16^th number one record.

Track list: 1. Rocket (feat. Tony Iommi) 2. Spies 3. Pretty Face 4. Bite Your Tongue 5. Cocky 6. All My Life 7. Human (feat. Jesse & Joy) 8. Morrissey 9. You 10. It’s OK Until The Drugs Stop Working 11. Pocket Rocket Record label: Sony Music Release date: 16^th January 2026 Buy ‘BRITPOP’ now

Nice review 👍. I like the fact the record is only 38 minutes long, you are kinda left wanting more which is a good thing in my opinion & hopefully we will get more of same at a future date. I would like to have seen Morrissey released as a single. it's a banger of a tune with great lyrics. I love the track YOU & would love to hear it live at one of his gigs . It's an amazing song. I love it & one of my favourites on the album.

Edited January 18Jan 18 by Sydney11

Yes, very positive reviews one by one. Just like Better Man's movie has had. I like it!

Well, here's another one:

11 minutes ago, Better Man said:

Yes, very positive reviews one by one. Just like Better Man's movie has had. I like it!

Well, here's another one:

There are so many. I am going to go back & read them all next week. 😊

4 hours ago, Sydney11 said:

Delighted to see that they provided the Album Credits & Lyrics on the official website.

Link to site below :

BRITPOP - ALBUM CREDITS & LYRICS – Robbie Williams

Thanks Tess, very preciuos information before getting CD.

---

Nice to see you here, Lucy. A very special place for interesting discussions about Rob and his projects, very honest and inspiring

I hope they have overthought the release on streaming and physical. Maybe they already know that the amount of physical albums sold will secure the top spot in February. They must have an overview about how many copies they shifted. And maybe they think that if it works very well he can have a no one based on downloads already next week.