Tue:07-10-2008

- Robbie Williams Releasing New Album?

Sans Gorilla Costumes And UFOs, Says Manager

Robbie Williams may be insistent that he is taking a break from pop to study UFOs (read story here) but it seems his manager has other ideas.

As reported on starpulse.com, Robbie's manager Tim Clark has told the BBC that Robbie has been writing songs for the new album at his house in LA.

While these reports are in direct contradiction with an interview Robbie gave recently to the mirror.co.uk, Clark is hopeful that all going according to plan, the album should be released sometime in 2009. 

Says Clark to the BBC, "I would certainly hope that a new album will be coming next year. There are never any guarantees but that's what we would hope. We have no idea how EMI will market and promote the album. He's been writing and we heard some wonderful stuff. I was with Robbie last week. He was at home and he was writing songs and he played some of them to us. He's in very fine spirits, in very fine form and I think what he's doing sounds really wonderful."

Robbie has reportedly been on an album strike with his label EMI since 2006.   According to contactmusic.com, the singer vowed to withhold any new releases in protest over redundancies resulting from a $US6.4 billion takeover by private equity company Terra Firma in August 2007.   But all that may be water under the proverbial bridge if reports are to be believed. 

Clark also rubbished reports that the 34-year-old's next album will be extraterrestrial-themed due to his interest in UFOs.

There is every possibility that Clark is going into PR overdrive over Robbie's latest ET friendly remarks to the media; either that or Robbie is leading the tabloids on a merry dance, a pursuit he has been known to be fond of in the past.

If that's the case, his allegations could be a double edged sword.  While his UFO sightings have bought him his fare share of headlines and column inches(and therefor promotion), his strange behavior has corroded his sex-appeal and alienated (no pun intended) otherwise loyal fans.

Apart from allegedly being in cahoots with little green men, Robbie has displayed other strange behavior of late, including dressing up in a gorilla costume and walking the streets of Hollywood, causing friends to worry about his mental state.  

Speaking to the UK's Daily Star, Robbie's friend Tara Palmer-Tomkinson said: "Of course I'm worried for Robbie.

"He's a genius and when you're that smart and have been in the public eye for so long, you want to escape."

If Robbie can produce an album sans gorilla outfits and UFOs, there's every chance the UK Star can return to form. 

Bring it on Robbie! We're waiting.

By Penelope Quinn

Catch more goss on our daily program "MTV News" by clicking through to Overdrive