Posting on Instagram, Williams sent out a long post explaining his anxieties whilst also making sure to detail his “gratitude” to all his fans.

The 51 year old singer revealed that he had to turn down multiple requests for photos on a recent flight, stating: “This isn’t a complaint, it’s context.”

Speaking of one interaction, the Better Man star said: “One of them handed me a lovely note – kind words about my documentary – and then asked for a photo.

“I wrote a note back. I explained I’d been up since 4:30am, had two hours sleep, and wrangled four kids through the airport. I’ve got bags under my eyes and I’m dealing with anxiety.”

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A post shared by Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams)

The ‘Rock DJ’ singer shared in the post that this is not only a problem for himself, but perhaps a problem with society as a whole. Speaking of the life and pressures of being a celebrity, Williams said: “There’s a kind of unspoken law: as a celebrity, you should be accessible 24/7.

“Greet all strangers like you’re the mayor of the best town anyone’s ever visited. Make sure their wishes are met, whatever they are. Otherwise – you’re a c*nt. There’s no inbetween.”

He also mentioned that he was sure that half the people he met “couldn’t name one of my albums, let alone say they’ve bought a ticket to my show.

“They’re no more fans than me than they are of the Leaning Tower of Pisa or Big Ben. They’re fans of fame.”

Despite his grievances the ‘Angles’ singer did clarify how much his actual fans mean to him, saying: “If we cross paths in the wild you are a fan of me, I want you to tell me. That means a lot. I’ll make time. I’ve got gratitude for that. It warms my heart when I feel I’ve warmed yours.”

Williams has had well-documented problems with drink and drugs in the past and has been an inspiration to many in the way he’s turned his life around. Although he may come across as a sociable, bubbly creature (a monkey?), he claimed that “Every interaction fills me with discomfort.

“I mask it well. But social interaction still frightens me. So much so, I didn’t go out for years. I had to relearn how to interact. And I had to do it without drugs or drink.”

The former Take That man has seemingly been everywhere in past months, after the release of his biopic ‘Better Man’. He has also had lots to say about the upcoming Oasis reunion, where he was quick to support the Gallagher brothers in the feud about their ticket pricing last year.

More recently, The Lottery Winners revealed that they are working on a new single with Robbie Williams, saying: “We’re working on ideas with him.”

Williams and the Gallagher’s feud dates back to the early 2000s. As the ‘Angels’ singer was establishing a solo career off of the back of his success in Take That in the mid-1990s, Oasis would briefly take Williams under their wing. Their friendship only spanned a few weeks, as Williams reflected the trio didn’t “gel” so they ultimately “stopped hanging out, simple as that”.

The next 25 years would be tumultuous between the Gallagher’s and Williams, as their successes in Britpop would often be pinned against one another, igniting their very public feud. This comparison continued after Williams beat Oasis’ record at Knebworth Park for the biggest music event in British history at the time, headlining three nights in 2003, while Oasis performed two in 1996. After Noel Gallagher very publicly referred to Williams as the “fat dancer from Take That” and Williams openly challenged Liam to a fight during his acceptance speech for ‘Best British Single’ at the 2000 BRIT Awards, their feud was placed at the forefront of early 2000s pop culture.

In his interview with Esquire, the ‘Rock DJ’ performer provided viewers with an update as to the current status of his feud with Liam.

When asked, what he learnt from these difficult moments with the Oasis frontman, Williams responded: “I’m deeply sensitive and if you belittle me or bully me it’s napalm death for you”.

He continued: “Here’s the thing about Liam Gallagher… the voice of our generation, charisma off the charts, wonderful to watch, incredible to listen to. The world is a better place for having Liam Gallagher in it”.

Brother.that means a lot to me ..Carry on being celestial .the world needs you .Your fan rob

— Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams) May 27, 2020

Regarding their reconciliation, the former-Take That singer stated ‘peace’ was made when Gallagher tweeted him when a story revealed Williams’ parents were ill, recalling “it was very very lovely…” and it erased the tension between the pair from his perspective, as it made him see a heightened kindness in Liam, later concluding: “He’s a hero of mine”.

Later in the interview the singer was asked on his thoughts on the upcoming Oasis reunion tour: “Yes I do think the Gallaghers will make it to their reunion tour and not only get to the reunion, complete the whole thing”. Neglecting to mention Noel, assuming their feud is ongoing, Gallagher approached questions relating to the Gallaghers and Britpop with an essence of maturity, inferring he had moved on from these historic feuds.

Williams is evidently utilising the release of ‘Better Man’ and its accompanying press tour to display a profound sincerity, focusing on the intricacies of his career and personal life through a perspective that allows viewers to understand the popstar through a humanised lens.

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/robbie-williams-addresses-historic-feud-with-liam-gallagher-im-deeply-sensitive/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/robbie-williams-biopic-better-man-sees-disqualification-from-oscars-shortlist/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/robbie-williams-biopic-better-man-sees-disqualification-from-oscars-shortlist/#comments Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:00:53 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=104540 It has been revealed Robbie Williams’ track ‘Forbidden Road’ from his forthcoming biopic Better Man has been disqualified from the ‘Best Original Song’ category at the 2025 Oscars, days after it made the shortlist.

The Academy revealed the song had been revoked its position in the shortlist after failing to meet essential criteria. Academy bosses believed it sounded too similar to ‘I Got A Name’ from The Last American Hero, released in 1993. ‘Forbidden Road’ was ultimately ruled out as it incorporated material from a pre-existing song which wasn’t made for the sole use of Better Man.

400 members of the Academy’s Music Branch were notified via letter shortly after the announcement of the shortlist that Williams’ track would be removed. Instead of a replacement song being added to the shortlist, the category for ‘Best Original Song’ will feature 14 competitors (instead of 15) battling for their place in the official Oscar nominations, which are set to be announced in January.

The letter notifying the change of shortlist emphasised the decision “both honours our rules and protects the special nature of the Original Song and Score categories”.

During a time of growing popularity in celebrity biopics, Williams’ upcoming biopic sees the ‘Let Me Entertain You’ singer take centre stage as a CGI chimp. Differing from pre-existing biopics (Elton John’s Rocketman and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody), Better Man, from Greatest Showman’s director Michael Gracey, will depict Williams’ as an uncannily cheeky chimp being thrown into fame at 16, exploring the difficulty of navigating life in the spotlight. Confronting the assumption that he felt like a ‘performing monkey’ during his time in Take That, Better Man encompasses the highs and lows of Williams’ life. From depictions of his ascendence to fame to his mental health battles, Better Man provides a semi-biographical depiction of Williams’ life through a unique perspective.

In an interview with the Guardian Williams’ revealed the reason for this unique perspective within his biopic: “Let’s face it, a Robbie Williams biopic without the monkey is way less appealing, or intriguing… It would be interesting to my fans, but not to anyone else”.

As the ‘Rock DJ’ performer has been awaiting the official release of Better Man on Boxing Day (December 26), the singer is evidently taking this latest disqualification from the Oscar’s ‘Best Original Song’ shortlist in his stride as he completes his global promotion of the biopic. Oscar nomination or not, Better Man will showcase the popstar in his most unfiltered (and somewhat cheekiest) self to viewers.

The boyband, made up of Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, and Markus Feehily have confirmed their first studio album since the release of 2010’s ‘Gravity’ will drop on the 6th of September 2019. The groups comeback comes after they took a hiatus, which began in 2011, and lasted until October 2018 when they reunited, bringing much excitement to fans.

So happy to announce that our new album ’Spectrum’ is coming on 6th September! pic.twitter.com/WrqTyNFt5D

— Westlife (@westlifemusic) April 11, 2019

Speaking about how the name for the album came about, Westlife, said: “The title ‘Spectrum’ came from us talking about how we feel younger, happier and more energetic than we ever have in our career. ‘Spectrum’ is a title that represents the various different shades and colours of our personalities, vocals and general perspectives that all blend together in a unique way to create Westlife. It’s also a word that represents the various shades and colours in the band, meaning it’s the perfect metaphor for our different points of view and perspectives but together, they somehow join to work perfectly.”

The 11-track album, ‘Spectrum’, which was recorded in Dublin, LA, and London, cements the group’s return to the international music scene, on the exact day they mark the twentieth anniversary of the release of their first ever UK single, ‘Swear It Again’, which was released on the 12th of April 1999. Their latest album, ‘Spectrum’, was written and produced by hitmakers such as Steve Mac, Ed Sheeran and James Bay. The album showcases the band’s stunning vocals with a collection of fresh pop anthems and moving ballads, including the amazing first single, ‘Hello My Love’, of their music comeback as well as their current hit, ‘Better Man’.

Speaking of the album, the band, said: “We are making new fresh pop music for old and new fans alike and are so excited to share ‘Spectrum’ with everybody.” The band added: “We’re all driven by trying to create the best album of our careers. Our fans deserve the very best version of Westlife possible and with this album we feel that we’ve achieved that.

“The album has everything that we love in music, heartfelt emotional songs and also great uptempo’s that are designed for our stadium performances. We couldn’t be happier with how the last few months in the studio have gone and we cannot wait for our fans to hear the end results.”

The news of the release date of their latest album, ‘Spectrum’, follows the announcement of their 25-date tour of the UK and Ireland. Their comeback not only include their latest album, but their fastest-selling UK and Ireland tour of all time, cementing Westlife’s position as national music treasures.

The tour, which will celebrate Westlife’s 20th anniversary, will see the band hit the road, in Belfast, on the 25th of May 2019, heading to venues in Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds, London, Nottingham, Birmingham, and Liverpool, before concluding, in Dublin, on the 6th of July 2019. Westlife’s album is available for pre-order now and their UK and Ireland tour can be seen in full below.

Westlife UK and Ireland Tour Dates 2019:

25/05/2019 – SSE Arena – Belfast
26/05 – SSE Arena – Belfast
27/05 – SSE Arena – Belfast
30/05 – Manchester Arena – Manchester
31/05 – Metro Radio Arena – Newcastle
01/06 – Metro Radio Arena – Newcastle
03/06 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
04/06 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow
07/06 – Fly DSA Arena – Sheffield
08/06 – Fly DSA Arena – Sheffield
10/06 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
11/06 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
13/06 – The O2 – London
14/06 – The O2 – London
15/06 – The O2 – London
18/06 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
19/06 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
21/06 – Birmingham Arena – Birmingham
22/06 – Birmingham Arena – Birmingham
23/06 – Birmingham Arena – Birmingham
25/06 – Echo Arena – Liverpool
26/06 – Echo Arena – Liverpool
28/06 – Manchester Arena – Manchester
05/07 – Corke Park – Dublin
06/07 – Corke Park – Dublin