Robbie Williams

[jdkwfan4ever]

Yeah I think so.

[girlnamedcarl]

Re: RW's lack of success in the US, I think it's the same phenomenon that's kept The Darkness from getting the adoration (I think) they deserve: In general, the American entertainment market doesn't really like smart people. Cleverness is met with suspicion over here, and satire has to be announced with a sledgehammer and a constantly-blinking sign.

So I'd like to tell Robbie: It's okay if America doesn't like you or get you. That's like being snubbed by the kid who says "nukular." Oh wait, that's us, too! Oy. (Sometimes I want to give my country a sound kick in the shins.)

[Deleted]

I hate this self-absorbed, arrogant asshole with the firey passion of a thousand Christs!

Thank God he never managed to make it "worldwide" no matter how many times he tried and tried to break into the US market. Ha! I'm so happy he's so sad! Thinking about him crying the failure makes me laugh and fills me with such glee!

[londonprincess]

girlnamedcarl said:

Re: RW's lack of success in the US, I think it's the same phenomenon that's kept The Darkness from getting the adoration (I think) they deserve: In general, the American entertainment market doesn't really like smart people. Cleverness is met with suspicion over here, and satire has to be announced with a sledgehammer and a constantly-blinking sign.

So I'd like to tell Robbie: It's okay if America doesn't like you or get you. That's like being snubbed by the kid who says "nukular." Oh wait, that's us, too! Oy. (Sometimes I want to give my country a sound kick in the shins.)

Couldn't agree more! Whether or not you like Robbie (I love him, but anyway), you have to admit that Americans simply don't get satire or sarcasm.

Example: When any musician makes a video/writes a song about a very public relationship/breakup (J. Timberlake "Cry Me A River", J Lo "Jenny From the Block", etc.), there's so much talk about it. People write articles saying "I think that video is about him and Britney Spears"...do ya think so? He's trying to be clever in a very obvious way and we think we've cracked the Da Vinci code.

[Deleted]

Couldn't agree more! Whether or not you like Robbie (I love him, but anyway), you have to admit that Americans simply don't get satire or sarcasm.

Oh, we get satire and sarcasm here, just not in music.

Say what you want about PAB but the reason he has a major following is the reason RW has a following abroad: the boy band factor. We knew PAB from N*STYNC and we followed his career from an early age. That wasn't the case with Take That who broke up right before their lone hit made it to the Top 10. Plus if you remember the video for "Back for Good," he didn't sing lead.

[Deleted]

I adore Robbie Williams but I don't agree that the reason he didn't make it here is because we're too stupid to understand his music. I would agree, however, that a lot of people don't know how to take his humor when he's being interviewed. Success here would be dependent on a really great single and how much promotion he would be willing to put into that. I get the feeling that he tried it once, half-heartedly and that didn't amount to much so he just decided not to pursue it at all to save face.

I don't mind that he's not huge here, but I wish that I could see him live. I'm not sure it's worth the risk of planning a trip around a concert.

And I think Feel is his best song.

[memememe76]

I wonder if it's just the type of music Americans don't like. Since the Millenium, there have probably been 4 standout ballads by male British musicians that got them mega famous around much of the world: Yellow (Coldplay), Angels (Robbie), Somewhere Only We Know (Keane), and You're Beautiful (Blunt). Yellow and You're Beautiful really broke out in the US, while Angels and SOWK didn't. Maybe Americans don't like ballads to be so "lush" and prefer ballads to be more "spare"?

[honey]

Personally, I've always believed the reason he never made it in the US is because he's too camp. It's like he's doing a gimmick or a parody and not a real performance and maybe that's why a lot of people don't see the point in wasting time listening to him.

[Deleted]

memememe76 said:

I wonder if it's just the type of music Americans don't like. Since the Millenium, there have probably been 4 standout ballads by male British musicians that got them mega famous around much of the world: Yellow (Coldplay), Angels (Robbie), Somewhere Only We Know (Keane), and You're Beautiful (Blunt). Yellow and You're Beautiful really broke out in the US, while Angels and SOWK didn't. Maybe Americans don't like ballads to be so "lush" and prefer ballads to be more "spare"?

Keane made a small impact in this country. I bought their album. They were also nominated for a Grammy.

Of the four U.K. acts mentioned only RW has not been a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. What's the irony there?

[sleepy]

honey said:

Personally, I've always believed the reason he never made it in the US is because he's too camp. It's like he's doing a gimmick or a parody and not a real performance and maybe that's why a lot of people don't see the point in wasting time listening to him.

I agree. And this is the exact reason I smile when I hear his music, even if it's not my taste. He just makes me happy, just like good camp should.

And yes, Feel is fun.