Robbie Williams – Take The Crown

Text: Sherman Yang

Lead single ‘Candy’ from Robbie Williams’ latest release Take The Crown is a fun track co-written with Take That member Gary Barlow. While the tune is catchy, the lyrics talk about a girl who thinks she is great. It may get you bobbing, even singing, along but at the end of the track, you might wonder what in the world did you just sing.

Robbie also never fails to shock with his choice of lyrics with a track titled ‘S*** On The Radio’ and dropping of the F-bomb randomly in ‘Gospel’ (oh the irony). If you excuse the clearly unnecessary use of expletives, ‘Gospel’ is otherwise a heart-warming song about young love.

Another track with a really catchy refrain is ‘Not Like The Others’. A seemingly innocent and pop track, listen closely to the lyrics and you will soon realise what the song is really about.

The album ends with a beautiful duet ‘Losers’ with Lissie (go figure who she is). Lissie’s folk voice somehow blends very well with Robbie’s pop/rock vocals. An emotional sounding track much different from the rest of the album, the cover version of the Belle Brigade’s song is a surprise find in the album.

After a three-year hiatus from his solo career, partly due to Take That’s reunion, Robbie Williams bounces back with a massive pop album in hopes of regaining his crowning glory of his earlier days.

On the whole, the album is charged with powerful and energetic pop-tunes peppered with several surprises.

Recommended tracks: ‘Candy’, ‘Gospel’, ‘Not Like The Others’, ‘Losers’