American success eludes Robbie Williams

[KiwiCoromandel]

Sir Elton John calls him "the No. 1 star in the world". But not every worldwide star gets to be a star in the United States.

Ask Americans what they think of Robbie Williams and they'll probably tell you he hasn't made a decent movie since Mrs Doubtfire.

In the United Kingdom, he is the single most recognizable musician working today, winner of a record 18 BRIT Awards and maker of six consecutive No. 1 studio albums. Worldwide, EMI Music says he has sold more than 51 million albums, singles and DVDs, with his last album opening at No. 1 in 18 different territories. His current world tour will see him play to 2.6 million fans, from Buenos Aires to Brisbane and Cape Town to Copenhagen.

Williams' solo career started brightly in the United States, with his ballad Angels peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 53 in 2000. But since then, his seemingly doomed attempts to convert America have become as essential a part of his UK tabloid persona as his struggles with alcohol and drugs and his dalliances with celebrities from Rachel Hunter to Nicole Kidman.

Williams last made a concerted assault upon America in 2003 with album Escapology (Chrysalis). But after debuting at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, the album slipped from view, and Williams subsequently cancelled plans to further tour the States.

His career album sales to date stateside total slightly less than 1 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with US debut The Ego Has Landed (Capitol), a compilation of his first two UK records, accounting for more than half that figure. Neither his last album, Intensive Care (2005), nor his new, electronica-inspired Rudebox, out October 23 in the United Kingdom, has had a physical US release.

Williams lives in Los Angeles for much of the year but seems to have given up on making America his spiritual home, declaring in one recent UK radio interview: "The only way an album of mine is going to be in the States is if I leave it in Tower Records."

EMI Music UK & Ireland chairman/CEO Tony Wadsworth says demand from Williams' hardcore American fan base "is satisfied by imports and digitally" and attributes Williams' lack of progress there to the artist's choice to concentrate on other territories.

"He (sells) between 5 and 6 million copies on every album without the United States," Wadsworth says. "So, does he need the States? From a strictly business point of view, I would say the answer is no."

Others remain convinced that Williams still has a shot at US success. James Blunt's manager, 21st Artists' Todd Interland, says You're Beautiful hit No. 1 in the United States thanks to Blunt's work ethic.

"I think Robbie's probably just giving it a brief rest, because deep down every artist wants to conquer America," Interland says.

"But Robbie would need to work differently to make it there. It's so competitive in America, you can't rest on your laurels and say, 'I'm a big star in the rest of the world.' You've really got to do the work."

The domestic buzz on Rudebox is low-key for a Williams release, thanks to its much-touted "experimental" direction and the relative failure of its title track lead single, which peaked at No. 4 on the Official UK Charts Co. survey and spent only four weeks in the top 20. Lead singles from Williams albums generally peak at No. 1 or No. 2. But the retail sector remains enthusiastic over what is still likely to be one of 2006's biggest-selling albums.

Internationally, Williams remains hot property. He will perform two songs at the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America October 19 in Mexico City – and his huge popularity in South America may yet provide him with a back-door route to the States.

Williams is perhaps the top-selling international act in Latin America at the moment. According to EMI, in the region he has sold nearly 3 million copies of his entire catalogue, dating back to 1998. He has aggressively targeted the Latin market via Spanish-language versions of his hits Angels and Sing When You're Winning.

Jose Tillan, senior vice president of music programming and talent strategy for MTV Networks Latin America and the Latin-focused MTV Tr3s, is mystified that huge success in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Colombia has failed to translate to the United States.

"The songs are great, he's a good-looking guy ... you'd think it was a no-brainer for the American market," Tillan says. "If we got another Angels, we'd definitely try to do something with it on MTV Tr3s."

In the meantime, Williams will just have to console himself with being music's biggest artist outside America.

source:Reuters

image:Reuters:ROBBIE WILLIAMS...success eludes him in US....