The pop icon will support the upcoming LP with an extensive U.K. and European headline tour this summer.
Robbie Williams attends the premiere of "Better Man – Die Robbie Williams Story" at Cinedom on December 08, 2024 in Cologne, Germany.
Robbie Williams is looking to hark back to “a golden age for British music” with his newly-announced LP Britpop, slated to land this autumn.
The album, which the singer says was inspired by the iconic musical era of the same name and the bands who defined it (Oasis, Blur, Pulp et al), will arrive via Columbia Records. It will mark Williams’ 13th solo full-length effort to date, and his first of non-festive original songs since 2016’s The Heavy Entertainment Show. A release date is due to be confirmed soon.“I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left Take That in 1995,” he said in a statement. “It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British Music. I’ve worked with some of my heroes on this album; it’s raw, there are more guitars and it’s an album that’s even more upbeat and anthemic than usual.“There’s some ‘Brit’ in there and there’s certainly some ‘pop’ too – I’m immensely proud of this as a body of work and I’m excited for fans to hear this album.”
The news coincides with the release of the album’s blistering lead single, “Rocket,” which features Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi on guitar. Its accompanying music video is set to drop this Friday (May 23), though a press release states that it will feature scenes of Williams and Iommi together in the latter’s hometown of Birmingham.
Williams will support Britpop with an extensive U.K. and European headline tour this summer, which features two nights at London’s 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium (June 6-7). Support will come from Warrington rock band The Lottery Winners, as well as Rag ‘N’ Bone Man on select dates.
The artwork for Britpop, meanwhile, nods to one of Williams’ most iconic looks: the red tracksuit worn to Glastonbury Festival in 1995 when he partied with Oasis at the height of the Britpop era. He had departed boyband Take That shortly before this time, in order to pursue a solo career. It also features an illustration of two demonstrators in ‘Just Stop Pop’ t-shirts defacing the image, in the style of protest group Just Stop Oil.
In January, Williams secured a huge milestone on the U.K. Album Charts. Better Man, the soundtrack to his recent biopic of the same name, gave the pop icon his 15th No. 1 album, seeing him move ahead of The Rolling Stones (14) in the all-time rankings. He is now tied with The Beatles at 15 for the most ever.
This article was first published by Billboard U.S.
Sobeys Stadium
Jeff Craib of The Feldman Agency confirms that the venue at the site of the National Bank Open will "hit pause" for summer 2025.
Last year, a new concert venue was unveiled. In summer 2024, The Feldman Agency opened The Bowl at Sobeys Stadium, located at the site of Canada's biggest tennis tournament, the National Bank Open. It was a partnership between Tennis Canada and the Toronto-based talent and booking company.
Now, after one summer of shows, the venue has gone quiet.
"We can confirm that we are hitting pause for summer 2025," says Jeff Craib, president of The Feldman Agency, in a statement to Billboard Canada. "We will make further comment when there is any news to share."
In a report by theToronto Star, Tennis Canada also confirmed the news, while saying they will "continue to work with the Feldman Agency with the hope the concert series will return in 2026 and beyond.”
The 9,000 capacity venue hosted a limited series of 2024 shows at The Bowl at Sobeys Stadium, including performances by the Barenaked Ladies Shaggy, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Tea Party and comedian Kevin Hart.
Billboard Canada reported on the launch of the Bowl at Sobeys Stadium in December 2023, Craib expressed optimism about its potential then. “We will be working closely together with Tennis Canada to provide the best of tennis and live entertainment to Toronto and its surrounding areas,” Craib said, noting that “Sobeys Stadium’s location in North America’s third-largest concert market (after New York and Los Angeles) and surrounding population of more than 6.8 million makes it a well-positioned live entertainment venue for both performers and fans.”
At the time, Craib shared that he expected around 15 shows per year at the open air venue.
Toronto is not starved for major concerts in summer 2025. The demand is high for arena and stadium shows, as stakeholders at the biggest companies have recently reported. This summer will see the opening of another temporary open-air venue, the 50,000 capacity Rogers Stadium, where Live Nation will present a full slate of concerts this summer.