Robbie Williams admitted that he delayed the release of his new album Britpop to avoid competition with Taylor Swift ’s The Life of a Showgirl as he chases a monumental U.K. music charts record.

Britpop was originally slated to arrive today, Oct. 10, but in September (about one month after Swift announced her new album ), the singer pushed his 13th studio LP to Feb. 6, 2026, because of “scheduling changes.” At the time, many speculated the change was Swift-related, especially because Williams is positioned to break a tie with the Beatles and score a record-setting 16th Number One on the U.K. Albums Chart. (Both Williams and the Beatles currently have 15 apiece.)

At an intimate show in London last night (Oct. 9) — originally scheduled to coincide with Britpop ’s release

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