Russians hit out at Robbie Williams over ‘shit’ ‘Party Like A Russian’ video

Comeback single has caused a stir in Russia over its depiction of oligarchs

Robbie Williams has courted controversy in Russia over his new single ‘Party Like A Russian’ and its accompanying music video.

The second song to be previewed from his forthcoming new album ‘The Heavy Entertainment Show’, ‘Party Like A Russian’ pays tribute to Russians’ ability to party. The video sees Williams play a Russian oligarch at his mansion, surrounded by a troupe of female dancers.

Williams has said of the song: “Part of the British identity is that we all believe we’re the best at partying, most nations think that of themselves. But there ain’t no party like a Russian party (sorry S Club 7).”

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The Guardian notes that the video has become a talking point in Russia, with the country’s state TV channel Vesti suggesting that the stunt was an attempt at boasting the singer’s popularity, which “in recent years was becoming a memory rather than a reality”.

Russian tabloid newspaper Life, meanwhile, held a round table discussion about the video, in which one individual described the video as “shit because it imparts the puny, vulgar Russian elite, which has nothing to do with aesthetics, beauty or romanticism”.

It has also been suggested that Robbie Williams may not be invited to perform in Russia again. However, politician Maria Baronova has said that “today’s elites are pleased with the depiction” of Russians in the video.

Williams recently denied reports that the song was influenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Out on November 4, ‘The Heavy Entertainment Show’ features co-writes with Brandon Flowers, John Grant, Ed Sheeran and Williams’ longtime writing partner Guy Chambers.

Williams told Beats 1 of the album: “I was musing over the phrase ‘light entertainment’ – all the huge TV shows from when I was a kid, 30 million people watching them, this huge shared experience of these moments called light entertainment.

“Sometimes it can be levelled at people in a bad way, but for me that’s heavy entertainment. That’s what I’m hoping to do with this album – to have a shared experience with millions of people through the medium of light entertainment, but on steroids.”

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