Robbie Williams considers that releasing the single ‘Rudebox’ is the biggest mistake he has made in his career. Williams makes these statements in DIY magazine on the occasion of the arrival of the Netflix documentary ‘Robbie Williams: Feel’, which premieres this Wednesday, November 8.
In the interview, Williams explains why he believes ‘Rudebox’ should not have been the first preview of his 2006 album, also titled ‘Rudebox’. “If it had been the third single I would have explained that the song is stupid,” she says. “Because I know it’s stupid: I’m not trying to be a grime artist.”
‘Rudebox’, which seemed like a parody of hip-hop, as it included illustrious rhymes such as “Do the rudebox / Shake your rudebox” or “Pocket full of Durex / are we gonna have sex?”, divided its fans and critics, but still managed to reach number 1 singles in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. In Spain, ‘Rudebox’ is certified with a Gold Record.
Still, Williams acknowledges that ‘Rudebox’ changed his career in the worst way: “The part that makes me most embarrassed in the documentary is when I explain to the audience that ‘Rudebox’ will be my biggest single since ‘Angels.’ Then I make another reflection: I think it’s my most important single since ‘Angels’ because ‘Angels’ gave me a career and ‘Rudebox’ marked the end of my imperial phase,” she declares.
Indeed, ‘Rudebox’ served as the first preview of Williams’ 2006 album of the same name, which received mostly negative reviews. However, the album has defenders who believe that it is the hidden gem of her discography.