Shit on the Radio

About

Shit on the Radio appears midway through Take the Crown and was written by Robbie Williams, Tim Metcalfe, Flynn Francis and producer Jacknife Lee. Though never released as a single, it became one of the album’s talking points for its provocative title and defiant tone. Williams later explained that the phrase was an American colloquialism meaning “the stuff that’s on the radio,” rather than a literal criticism of pop music or broadcasters.

The track evolved from an earlier composition, Raver, written during the Reality Killed the Video Star sessions, whose middle eight contained the same refrain. Jacknife Lee reworked the song by replacing its original chorus with that section, creating the version that appears on the album. Built around a syncopated beat and layered synths, it merges dance and rock elements in a style reminiscent of Williams’s early-2000s experimentation.

Lyrically, the song reflects Williams’s self-awareness about fame and the media, with a tongue-in-cheek twist. He described it as “ironically, me being the shit that’s on the radio — in the best possible way.” Its lively rhythm and sardonic humour align with his long-standing theme of balancing self-mockery with confidence. While some listeners interpreted the title as a critique of commercial pop, Williams clarified that it was meant affectionately, acknowledging his place within that culture.

“It’s just an Americanism — like saying, ‘What shit have you been up to today?’ It’s not an attack on radio. It’s me, the pop star, saying I’m the shit that’s on the radio.”Robbie Williams

Although not a commercial single, Shit on the Radio epitomises the playful, irreverent edge that underpins Take the Crown. Its bold title and upbeat delivery illustrate Williams’s renewed confidence and willingness to laugh at his own status within pop music.