by Barbara Visentin
The former Take That celebrates 25 years of solo career and starts his tour from Italy on January 20th: I can congratulate myself on this milestone
amazing crazy very beautiful silly amazing this all happened to me. Robbie Williams is slowing down the words to say how he feels as he celebrates 25 years of solo career. hard to understand when he’s joking and when he’s serious, when he’s eccentric and when fragile, but also via zoom, lying in a bed in Paris, shirtless partially covered by a white sheet, the ex-Take That has a magnetic Gaze that often opens with a laugh: traces the quarter century in which he rose to the greats of pop, but also had to struggle with excess, depression and psychological problems.
If you achieved this goal, can you congratulate yourself?
I would say yes, more than ever. nice to be in a moment of my life where i can take some time to breathe and say to myself “well what the heck: well done”.
The 25-year European tour begins in Italy with a date in Bologna on January 20, 2023: which concert will we see?
It will be like all my shows in the past, but I like to think that I’m a lot better than when I started, so you’ll see me at my best.
Her new album XXV was the 14th to reach number one in the UK, an album that brings her closer to Elvis or the Beatles: How Do You Feel?
Feeling like I don’t have to worry about being irrelevant now is a great thing. I would say that during this time it’s nice to be me.
But the only negative Lost speaks of behavior on the limit, of having lost one’s place in life.
Yes, but it refers to a distant time, between 1995 and 2000. However, the autobiographical text speaks of a time and place where I was years ago.
Have you ever felt lost in those 25 years?
I felt lost most of the time and my thoughts were mostly “this is all too overwhelming. Why do I feel this way? how to stop Where am I? mother help me”. I would say I’ve felt this way for 20 of those 25 years.
And how does it come out?
There’s no way, so I’ve learned to live with it. The main problem was having a mental illness in an industry like music, which in turn leads to mental problems (laughs). If I had been a carpenter I would still have had mental issues, but this industry is probably not as intense as life in the spotlight.
Before becoming a soloist, he had been with Take That since he was 16. Difficult to be in a group or alone?
Being part of a group is more difficult because you have to consider the feelings and thoughts of others. But the nice thing is that you share the success and we don’t feel alone: you go on stage knowing that the person next to you knows exactly how you are doing. Being a solo artist, on the other hand, can bring a lot of loneliness. But I like both options.
Do you have an indelible memory of the beginnings?
The best memory is the moment I found out I was going to be a part of Take That and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to be famous’. There has never been a time when I’ve felt better. Then I got famous and it was a great M…because the thought of being famous is so much more liberating, fascinating and exhilarating than being famous itself.
Is pop taken more seriously compared to 25 years ago?
I don’t know if it’s taken more seriously, but I know it’s judged less negatively. People don’t say “this music sucks” anymore, whereas years ago they often said “this stuff shouldn’t exist, this band shouldn’t be that successful, this singer isn’t worth anything”. I think people today are less bad, certainly online, their own wildness, a real hell, but in the music world, for example on the radio, in the newspapers, on TV or among commentators, they are all friendlier than ever before.
What has been the best moment so far?
I don’t know where I was or when I felt sky high, but I do know what happened. I know a lot of people have chosen to tell me I did a good job and still choose to tell me love me when I’m on stage and it makes us feel very strong and beautiful . A lot of people have instead chosen to tell me they hate me and despise everything I stand for, which doesn’t feel particularly good. But I like to think that the first aspect can outweigh the others if I want to.
What do you wish for the next 25 years?
Being able to achieve other goals, striving to achieve my dreams and working hard to try to make them a success.
October 2, 2022 (update October 2, 2022 | 07:08)
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