Rudebox (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rudebox" is a 2006 single by English
musician Robbie Williams
, from the album of the same name. It is based around a sample from the song "Boops (Here To Go)" by Sly & Robbie. The single was released on 4 September 2006, although download purchases allowed it to reach number 30 in the UK Charts
on 3 September. After the release of the CD single, it went up 26 places to number 4 selling 24,821 copies, beaten by Nelly Furtado
feat. Timbaland
's "Promiscuous
", Justin Timberlake
's "SexyBack
" and Scissor Sisters
' "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
". Although the single charted relatively high, Williams was mocked by sections of the tabloid press who said the single was a failure, due to his radical change in direction on the song, with The Sun
claiming it was the "worst song ever". Williams responded to the criticism by joking about it, telling an audience at his concert in Leeds
on September 8 that the song was "number one... in Germany" and saying it was "made to feel as welcome as a ginger step child". The track was also nominated for the 2006 Ivor Novello Award
. In the song Williams makes several cultural references including Adidas
, T.K. Maxx
(In a joke about product placement
, TK Maxx costs less!), Michael Jackson
, Durex
condoms, The Matrix
and Mandrex. Williams was quoted in September 2006 as saying that "for a box to be rude, the rude must be in a different box- and that took me a long time to realise". The song borrows lines from the Beastie Boys
song "Paul Revere"
.
, peaking at number-two in the Euro Hot 100 Singles Chart, the single reached number-one in Germany
, Italy
and Switzerland
, and it made the top ten in several other countries around the world. In the United Kingdom the single debuted at number-thirty based on downloads only, when the single was physically released it climbed to its peak of number-four, the single spent two weeks inside the top ten and nine weeks overall becoming a commercial disappointment. The song had huge success in Latin America
, Mexico
in particular. The song was nominated for Song of the Year - International at the Premios Oye!, the Mexican Grammys and won.
UK CD2
UK Limited Edition Digipak Single
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, from the album of the same name. It is based around a sample from the song "Boops (Here To Go)" by Sly & Robbie. The single was released on 4 September 2006, although download purchases allowed it to reach number 30 in the UK Charts
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 3 September. After the release of the CD single, it went up 26 places to number 4 selling 24,821 copies, beaten by Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
feat. Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
's "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
", Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's "SexyBack
SexyBack
"SexyBack" is a song by American recording artist Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album...
" and Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
' "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
I Don't Feel like Dancin'
"I Don't Feel Like Dancin" is the first single from the second album by the American pop band Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah. It was written with Elton John, who provides piano for the song, and was the band's first top ten single in Australia and Canada. The song was written by Elton John, Scott Hoffman...
". Although the single charted relatively high, Williams was mocked by sections of the tabloid press who said the single was a failure, due to his radical change in direction on the song, with The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
claiming it was the "worst song ever". Williams responded to the criticism by joking about it, telling an audience at his concert in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on September 8 that the song was "number one... in Germany" and saying it was "made to feel as welcome as a ginger step child". The track was also nominated for the 2006 Ivor Novello Award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
. In the song Williams makes several cultural references including Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx is a retailer with stores throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Poland. The company is part of the TJX Companies which also owns other 'off-price' retail chains such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls in the United States and Winners in Canada...
(In a joke about product placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
, TK Maxx costs less!), Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Durex
Durex
Durex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms that used to be made by British company SSL International. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser in July 2010....
condoms, The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
and Mandrex. Williams was quoted in September 2006 as saying that "for a box to be rude, the rude must be in a different box- and that took me a long time to realise". The song borrows lines from the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
song "Paul Revere"
Paul Revere (song)
"Paul Revere" is a song by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their debut album Licensed to Ill. It was written by Adam Horovitz, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Rick Rubin. It was produced by Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys...
.
Chart success
The song had considerable success in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, peaking at number-two in the Euro Hot 100 Singles Chart, the single reached number-one in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and it made the top ten in several other countries around the world. In the United Kingdom the single debuted at number-thirty based on downloads only, when the single was physically released it climbed to its peak of number-four, the single spent two weeks inside the top ten and nine weeks overall becoming a commercial disappointment. The song had huge success in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in particular. The song was nominated for Song of the Year - International at the Premios Oye!, the Mexican Grammys and won.
Tracklisting
UK CD1- "Rudebox" [Radio Edit] - 3:46
- "Lonestar Rising" - 3:55
UK CD2
- "Rudebox" [Album Version] - 4:45
- "Rudebox" [Soul Mekanik Dub] - 5:55
- "Rudebox" [Chicken Lips Malfunction] - 8:42
- "Rudebox" [Chicken Lips Malfunction Dub] - 8:47
- "Rudebox" [Enhanced Video]
- "Rudebox" [Interview Clip]
UK Limited Edition Digipak Single
- "Rudebox" [Clean Radio Edit]
- "Rudebox" [Dirty Radio Edit]
- "Rudebox" [Instrumental]
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| Turkey Top 20 Türkiye Top 20 The Turkey Top 20 is a music singles chart in Turkey. It has been compiled by Billboard Türkiye since November 2006. The charts were announced from the web site weekly, and monthly from the "Billboard Türkiye" magazine. Since September 2009, the charts are only announced monthly from the published... |
1 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Polish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 4 |
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| Russian Singles Chart | 12 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 16 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 17 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 17 |
| French Singles Chart | 31 |
| Romanian Singles Chart | 69 |