Nobody Someday (XXV)

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Nobody Someday closes the first disc of XXV, providing a rare and poignant deep cut from Robbie Williams’s archives. Originally written and recorded in 2001 during the making of the documentary of the same name, the song was heard only in raw demo form before being fully produced for this album. The XXV version was produced by Guy Chambers and features new orchestration that honours the simplicity and emotion of the original recording.

Built around acoustic guitar, gentle piano and a subdued rhythm section, the updated arrangement keeps the focus on Williams’s voice, which is tender and introspective. Backing vocals by Andy and Chester Kane, alongside Chambers, create an atmospheric hum beneath his lead, evoking the loneliness and vulnerability captured in the original demo. The orchestral touches are deliberately restrained, allowing the lyric’s melancholy tone to speak for itself.

Long cherished by fans, Nobody Someday was described by Williams as one of his most personal songs. Its inclusion on XXV finally gave it a formal release, completing a circle more than two decades after it was written. The line “Boy, if I get much bigger, they’ll stick a pin in me and I’ll blow away” encapsulates the self-awareness and irony that have run through his career.

“It’s a more worthy version of a Robbie Williams song. The orchestration gives it the weight it always deserved.”Robbie Williams

Ending the album on a note of quiet reflection, Nobody Someday feels like both a confession and a farewell. Its understated beauty makes it a fitting conclusion to XXV, an album built on looking back with honesty, gratitude and grace.