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Rating:
LA RECENSIONE
REALITY KILLED THE VIDEO STAR, Robbie Williams - The rebirth of the prince of pop
Three years away from the last work "Rudebox", such a long, too long time for an artist of his caliber. Now, however, he's back, brighter than ever, with this album that calling it surprising is an understatement: fans will surely appreciate it, but even skeptics and critics will recognize that this work, pleasant or not, contains many noteworthy songs.
Here we go with a dedication to the late king of pop, Michael Jackson: the title of the song is "MORNING SUN", probably written spontaneously, without thinking too much about the words, but the result is commendable. Indeed, it is an impactful, easily catchy song, so much so that one could have dared more and launched it as the first single. The second track is the controversial "BODIES", now heard repeatedly, but always capable of providing a pinch of excitement, not to mention it had considerable success across Europe. The atmosphere changes slightly in the third track, which will be the second single, "YOU KNOW ME", as it vaguely reminds of the sounds that characterized the album "Swing When You're Winning." It is still an excellent ballad.
"BLASPHEMY" instead is the song with the most emblematic lyrics, perhaps together with Bodies, but overall it's a step below the others on the record. It's then the turn of "DO YOU MIND", sung on a rock-flavored riff, with which Williams' voice blends perfectly, despite the skepticism. "LAST DAYS OF DISCO" is the 6th song of the album and stands out for an atypical sound, reminiscent of the previous work Rudebox, and it can be said with certainty that it would have been very useful for the aforementioned album.
After the 1-minute interlude of "SOMEWHERE", here comes the song I would call the deus ex machina of the album: DECEPTACON is indeed the most beautiful ballad Williams has delivered in many years. The lyrics are daring, with more or less unusual words (microwave, eggshells, deceptacon itself...), but overall the sadness is brought to its peak and the result is moving. However, it is not certain that it will be chosen as a single, but it would be a great pity.
In the 9th track, Robbie tackles the usual theme of celebrities, with a sound à la George Michael: "STARSTRUCK" is the title. The song is still pleasant, even if, as mentioned, quite banal. Another standout track is "DIFFICULT FOR WEIRDOS", which calling it filler is a mistake, for the simple reason that, in an album that harks back a bit to escapology, and a bit to those before it, it is an experiment of fine craftsmanship. After this excursion, it's the turn of "WON'T DO THAT", which I don't think is up to par due to its similarity to "Something Beautiful", and also because it was supposed to be, according to Robbie's partner, the first single to be released. Fortunately, this wasn't the case, as it is perhaps one of the least engaging songs on the album, albeit with a good rhythm, but as mentioned, the feeling is of self-plagiarism.
It is no surprise then if not even the 12th track, "SUPERBLIND" is among the best, after all, Williams had accustomed us to a questionable order of songs on the album. See to believe: the album "Sing when you're winning" listed 5 out of the 6 singles extracted among the first 5 songs! The album then closes, just as it began, with the atmosphere of "Morning sun reprise", and even if essentially the tracks are 11, all contain a bit of magic.
More or less debatable ratings for the songs:
MORNING SUN 8+
BODIES 8.5
YOU KNOW ME 8.5
BLASPHEMY 7+
DO YOU MIND 8-
LAST DAYS OF DISCO 8-
SOMEWHERE 7
DECEPTACON 9
STARSTRUCK 8-
DIFFICULT FOR WEIRDOS 8+
WON'T DO THAT 7.5
SUPERBLIND 7+
(MORNING SUN REPRISE)
I'm inclined to make a further comment...
This is an album that deserves to be listened to in one go, as if it were a concept album, even if there are none of those in the world of pop, nor will there ever be.
Robbie is back.
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Summary by Bot
Robbie Williams makes a strong comeback with Reality Killed The Video Star after a three-year hiatus. The album offers a mix of catchy, impactful songs with emotional depth, including tributes and experiments. Standout tracks like 'Morning Sun' and 'Deceptacon' highlight his vocal and lyrical talent. Despite some songs feeling less engaging, the album is cohesive and rewards full listening.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
02 Bodies (04:04)
God gave me the sunshine,
Then showed me my lifeline
I was told it was all mine,
Then I got laid on a ley line
What a day, what a day,
And your Jesus really died for me
Then Jesus really tried for me
UK and entropy,
I feel like its ****in’ me
Wanna feed off the energy,
Love living like a deity
What a day, one day,
And your Jesus really died for me
I guess Jesus really tried for me
Bodies in the Bodhi tree,
Bodies making chemistry
Bodies on my family,
Bodies in the way of me
Bodies in the cemetery,
And that’s the way it’s gonna be
All we’ve ever wanted
Is to look good naked
Hope that someone can take it
God save me rejection
From my reflection,
I want perfection
Praying for the rapture,
‘Cause it’s stranger getting stranger
And everything’s contagious
It’s the modern middle ages
All day every day
And if Jesus really died for me
Then Jesus really tried for me
Bodies in the Bodhi tree,
Bodies making chemistry
Bodies on my family,
Bodies in the way of me
Bodies in the cemetery,
And that’s the way it’s gonna be
All we’ve ever wanted
Is to look good naked
Hope that someone can take it
God save me rejection
From my reflection,
I want perfection
Bodies in the Bodhi tree,
Bodies making chemistry
Bodies on my family,
Bodies in the way of me
Bodies in the cemetery,
Bodies in the bodhi tree,
Bodies making chemistry
Bodies on my family,
Bodies in the way of me
Bodies in the cemetery,
And that’s the way it’s gonna be
All we’ve ever wanted
Is to look good naked
Hope that someone can take it
So God save me rejection
From my reflection,
I want perfection
Jesus didn’t die for you, what do you want?
(I want perfection)
Jesus didn’t die for you, what are you on?
Oh Lord
(Jesus really died for you) Ohh
(Jesus really died for you)
(Jesus really died for you) Ohh
Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams (Robert Peter Williams) is a British pop singer who first rose to fame with Take That and then achieved major success as a solo artist, known for hits such as "Angels", "Feel", "Rock DJ", and "Millennium", and for his reputation as a high-energy live performer.22 Reviews
