Angels

About

Angels became the song that defined Robbie Williams' solo career. Co-written with Guy Chambers, it blends emotional honesty with soaring melody, turning vulnerability into an anthem. Released in December 1997, it reached only No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart but went on to become one of the most played songs in British radio history.

The track was written early in Williams' collaboration with Chambers. Legend has it the idea came after Williams saw a man talking about guardian angels on television. He later said he wrote the lyrics in 25 minutes, guided by instinct rather than strategy.

Everyone thinks it's about my mum or someone who died, but really, it's about love, pure and simple; the thing that saves you when you're at your lowest.Robbie Williams

Recorded at Matrix Studios, Angels features sweeping piano lines and a gospel-tinged climax that helped define the Williams–Chambers sound. Its emotional directness marked a turning point for the singer, earning critical respect that had eluded him since leaving Take That.

That song changed everything. Before Angels, I was a pop star trying to prove something. After it, I was a songwriter people took seriously.Robbie Williams

The accompanying video, directed by Vaughan Arnell, shows Williams walking through a snowy landscape, solitary yet defiant; an image that mirrored his emergence as a solo artist. In later interviews he admitted to feeling "both saved and haunted" by the song's success, saying it became "a blessing that follows me everywhere."

Angels went on to win multiple awards and became a staple of British weddings, funerals, and national celebrations. It remains Williams' most enduring song; a timeless statement of faith, loss, and redemption wrapped in one unforgettable melody.