Editing Robbie Williams (section)

===2006–2009: ''Rudebox'' and ''Reality Killed the Video Star''===
{{Main|Rudebox|Reality Killed the Video Star}}
Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, ''[[Rudebox]]'', on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the [[Pet Shop Boys]], [[William Orbit]], Soul Mekanik, [[Joey Negro]], [[Mark Ronson]], Chris Grierson, and The Orr Boys. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the ''[[NME]]'' 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/robbie-williams/8052 |title=NME Magazine on "Rudebox" |work=NME |location=UK  |date=23 October 2006 |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press. The album sold 2× Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2&nbsp;million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2006.html |title=IFPI Certifications, November 2006 |publisher=Ifpi.org |date=1 September 2005 |access-date=23 December 2009 |archive-date=7 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507023626/http://ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2006.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=1514 |title=Goodbye to the hard sell |publisher=Thefirstpost.co.uk |date=12 March 2007 |access-date=23 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011164546/http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=1514 |archive-date=11 October 2007 }}</ref> ''Goodbye to the Normals'' was directed by [[Jim Field Smith]] and features "Burslem Normals" by Williams.

[[File:Robbie Williams catzi.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Williams at a concert in Vienna, Austria, in 2006]]

In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and [[Mark Ronson]]. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jan/28/robbie-williams-album-mark-ronson |title=robbie williams album-mark ronson |work=The Guardian |date= 28 January 2009|access-date=23 December 2009 | location=London | first=Sean | last=Michaels}}</ref> On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer [[Trevor Horn]] on his new album, which would eventually be titled ''[[Reality Killed the Video Star]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.it/music/inuscita/dischi_all.asp |title=New album title – Page 4 |publisher=MTV |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> a reference to the song "[[Video Killed the Radio Star]]" by Horn's former band [[the Buggles]]. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|last=Glastetter |first=Jason |url=http://www.theendofirony.net/2009/08/robbie-williams-is-back-for-good.html |title=Robbie Williams is back for good |publisher=Theendofirony.net |date=5 August 2009 |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref>

On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled ''[[Songbook (Robbie Williams album)|Songbook]]'', as a free CD for the newspaper ''[[The Mail on Sunday]]''. That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on ''[[The X Factor (UK)|The X Factor]]'' results show, performing his new single "[[Bodies (Robbie Williams song)|Bodies]]" for the first time live.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xfactor.itv.com/2009/episodes/news/item_100146.htm |title=X Factor – Home |publisher=Xfactor.itv.com |access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London [[Roundhouse (venue)|RoundHouse]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2009/artists/robbiewilliams/ |title=BBC Electric Proms – Robbie Williams |work=BBC News |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> It was his first live concert for 3 years and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide.<ref name="Concert review">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/21/robbie-williams-concert-review |title=Concert Review |work=The Guardian |date= 21 October 2009|access-date=23 December 2009 | location=London | first=Alexis | last=Petridis}}</ref> Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from ''Reality Killed the Video Star'' and older tracks.<ref name="Concert review"/>

''Reality Killed the Video Star'' was previewed in the UK on the [[Spotify]] music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sehr |first=Andres |url=http://www.spotify.com/blog/archives/2009/11/03/robbie-williams%E2%80%99-new-album-to-debut-exclusively-on-spotify-in-the-uk/ |title=Robbie Williams' new album to debut exclusively on Spotify in the UK |publisher=Spotify.com |date=3 November 2009 |access-date=23 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107212352/http://www.spotify.com/blog/archives/2009/11/03/robbie-williams%E2%80%99-new-album-to-debut-exclusively-on-spotify-in-the-uk/ |archive-date=7 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In a high-profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against ''[[The X Factor (UK)|X Factor]]'' 2008 runners-up [[JLS]] who released their [[JLS (album)|debut album]] the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's ''Escapology''). In late November 2009, Williams travelled to Australia to perform at the [[ARIA Music Awards of 2009]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/2009|title=ARIA Awards 2009 : History: Winners by Year : 2009:23rd Annual ARIA Awards|publisher=[[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA)|access-date=13 June 2012| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091124212945/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php| archive-date= 24 November 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>