- Music
- 04 Oct 02
The clown prince of pop signs £80 million deal with EMI
Robbie Williams has signed a new deal with EMI that's understood to be worth £80 million.
While unwilling to talk figures, Williams told reporters: "I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams. I want to make records and break records with EMI."
According to a well-placed source, "The deal breaks down as £10 million up front, £15 million on completion of the first record and £55 million for the remaining three records. The contract is structured to meet strict sales targets and aims to help Williams become a star in the United States, a market he has failed to break."
EMI faced stiff competition from Warners, Universal and Sony who were all given a preview of his fifth studio album, Escapology. Now due on November 18, the follow-up to the 5.8 million-selling Swing When You're Winning marks a return to "mainstream pop territory", with 'Something Beautiful', 'Monsoon', 'Sexed Up' and 'Me & My Monkey' among its stand-outs.
The deal is something of a gamble for EMI who last year gave Mariah Carey a $30 million pay-off after her album stiffed.