Album Review: Reality Killed The Video Star by Robbie Williams

It's rather tragic that US audiences haven't paid much attention to Robbie Williams since his 1998 single "Millennium". As a former member of boy-band Take That, Williams is sort of like the UK's version of Justin Timberlake (except arguably hotter). Though his solo career has only last five years longer than Timberlake's, he's somehow managed to churn out six more albums than the "SexyBack" singer. Then again, quantity often doesn't signify quality

Within Williams' twelve year career, he's had a few missteps here and there. Luckily, Reality Killed The Video Star isn't one of them. It may be packed full of bad puns and strange themes, but Trevor Horn's polished production makes up for it and then some. And in case you missed it, the album's title is somewhat of an homage to Horn, a former member of The Buggles and co-writer of "Video Killed The Radio Star". Yes, it's cheeky. But it's also rather witty and ballsy.

The best part of Reality Killed The Video Star is the music's ability to effortlessly flow between classic rock and electronic influences. The album's opening track, "Morning Sun", sounds as if it could have been written for Sir Elton John. On the other side of the spectrum, "Difficult For Weirdos" could easily have been a demo for one of Adam Lambert or Lady Gaga's upcoming projects. The latter song even throws in a queer slant, with such lyrics as "Every Saturday at the plaza, guess the gender, unless you'd rather, he is a lesbian".

Well, there's a whole other thing. For an artist who claims to have never slept with a man (and specifically went to court to debunk rumors of his sexuality), it's surprising that Williams has turned out an album that's so… well, gay. And I mean that as a compliment.

– Dewitt