Reality Killed the Video Star

About

Reality Killed the Video Star appears on Under the Radar Vol. 3 and was written, performed and produced entirely by Robbie Williams during the Intensive Care sessions in 2005. It predates his 2009 studio album of the same title, from which that album took its name. Williams rediscovered the track years later while scrolling through his iTunes library and included it here as a previously lost personal recording.

The song is a nostalgic and deeply emotional piece reflecting on love, fame and regret. Williams explained that it was written about “someone I’ll always have deep affection for,” describing the track as “deeply personal.” Its opening line, “Remember when I came round and I ruined your mother’s carpet,” evokes both humour and heartbreak, recounting memories of youthful love and the ways time and success can separate people. The lyric “Radio and television are keeping us apart” directly inspired the title of his later album, symbolising the barrier between private emotion and public persona.

Musically, Reality Killed the Video Star is a stripped-back ballad, built around piano and acoustic guitar. Williams’ intimate vocal performance and raw production lend it an immediacy that contrasts with the polish of his later studio work. He revealed that the line “Look at these tears falling down onto my guitar” came directly from the writing session, when he actually cried while composing the song.

“It’s a deeply personal song about somebody I’ll always have a deep affection for. I wrote it, played it, sang it, and there were tears on my guitar when I did.”Robbie Williams

Fans have praised Reality Killed the Video Star for its honesty and emotional clarity, calling it one of the hidden gems of Under the Radar Vol. 3. It provides a poignant glimpse into Williams’ creative process during the Intensive Care era, standing as both an origin story for one of his later albums and a touching testament to lost love.