Robbie Williams say struggles with ‘mental illness and drugs and sh*t’ fuelled career resurgence
Robbie Williams says past pain helped a creative resurgence and feels like a "brand new artist".
Robbie Williams says his past struggles with mental illness and drug addiction have contributed to a renewed sense of purpose in his career - insisting he feels like a “brand-new artist again”.
The Angels singer has long been open about his struggles with inner demons at the height of his career, which saw him rise from boyband success with Take That to one of the UK’s biggest ever solo pop stars before periods of rehabilitation and time away from the spotlight.
Now, Robbie Williams says those same experiences have helped shape what he describes as a renewed chapter in his music career.
Robbie - who scored his 16th number one album this year with BRITPOP - said performing in Las Vegas forced him to reintroduce himself to audiences unfamiliar with his work, despite his long-standing success in the UK and internationally.
He told Esquire: “I did a residency at the Wynn in Vegas, and because North America is not acquainted with what I do pervasively, I had to sell myself to the people who book the acts. I was like, 'Mate, I’m a swear-y Frank Sinatra with tattoos.'
“I’m in these stadiums doing these massive shows, but people at dinner parties are asking me if I still do music. I feel as if I’m a brand-new artist again, and I’m about to experience my business in a way I didn’t the first time around because of mental illness and drugs and shit.”
He said the experience of restarting in some markets has reshaped how he views his career trajectory and creative identity.
Williams catapulted to fame in 1990 with Take That alongside Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange, describing it as a disorientating experience that had a massive psychological impact and changed his relationship with success.
He said: “Whatever happens when you get the bends is what happens when you become famous.”
But despite the personal setbacks, Robbie feels more grounded and creatively energised than before.
He said: “I feel as though I’m about to get lucky again, and this time I’m grateful and happy. I’m wide-eyed. I’m new again.”
The father-of-four says fatherhood fundamentally changed his priorities and sense of responsibility.
Robbie said: “When my first kid, Teddy, arrived, it was terrifying for so many different reasons. I couldn’t look after myself. How on earth was I going to look after a precious soul?”
Robbie and his wife Ayda Field have daughter Theodora (Teddy), 13, Charlton (Charlie), 11, Colette (Coco), seven, and Beau, five.
