Robbie Williams has signed a new deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) which will see him release his 13th studio album this year.
The ‘Rock DJ’ hitmaker has recently confirmed his debut Christmas album, ‘The Christmas Present’, will be released on November 22, and now it’s been announced that as part of his new contract with the music label, his follow-up to 2016’s ‘The Heavy Entertainment Show’ will be out before the end of 2019 as well.
The global administration deal with Robbie’s own publishing company, Farrell Music, includes all of his existing and future works.
UMPG UK’s Managing Director, Mike McCormack said: "It’s such a pleasure to be reunited with Robbie and his management team at ie: music after so many years.
"I first signed Robbie as a young, fresh faced member of Take That back in the early 90s when I was at Virgin Music and even then, he was a huge personality and a pleasure to work with. He’s gone on to become a global superstar and an incredible songwriter – so it’s a privilege to represent all these great songs and the new material he will be writing in the future."
Robbie’s upcoming festive record features debuts with Tyson Fury, Bryan Adams, Sir Rod Stewart, his dad and his young daughter Teddy.
The 45-year-old singer asked the 31-year-old boxer to sing on ‘Bad Sharon’, a song about a "boozy office party", and he said the heavyweight "smashed it" in the recording studio.
He said of the track: "That makes sense in some sort of universe! I got my residency in Vegas and while I was out there Tyson was fighting and he invited me into his dressing room, is it called a dressing room when you fight? I don’t know.
"And I asked him and he said yes and the song itself, ‘Bad Sharon’, is basically a boozy office party somewhere in the Midlands and it makes sense for Tyson, in that moment in my head, and to be fair he’s smashed it."
Robbie was also delighted to have both Bryan and Rod record songs for the album because they have always been inspirations to him.
He said of the pair: "People that I know, people that I like and people that I’ve got captive audience with that can’t say no in that moment when you ask them to do it. It’s easier on emails to say no.
"That was like two years ago and they’d forgotten but I hadn’t…’ me again’. They’re both really lovely chaps, incredibly nice people, incredibly nice with me and I look up to them and they’re the people I’ve gone, ‘Right OK, what happens to your career when you get older, where do you go? How do you do it?’ And I watch them for inspiration."
The ‘Angels’ singer – who will perform a festive show at the SSE Arena, Wembley, in support of the record on December 16, and is also playing Hits Live Manchester on November 17 and Magic of Christmas at the London Palladium on November 24 – teamed up with his father Pete Conway on ‘A Wonderful Life’ and his daughter Teddy, seven, has a small part on the track ‘Home’.
Robbie Williams signs publishing deal and will release new album in 2019
