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Better Man (Robbie Williams song)

{{Short description|2001 song by Robbie Williams}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Better Man

| cover = Bettermanrobbie.JPG

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Robbie Williams

| album = Sing When You're Winning

| B-side =

  • "My Way" (live)
  • "Rolling Stone"
  • "Toxic"

| released = {{Start date|df=y|2001|10|22}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = {{Duration|m=3|s=22}}

| label = EMI, Chrysalis

| writer = Guy Chambers, Robbie Williams

| producer = Guy Chambers, Steve Power

| prev_title = Eternity

| prev_title2 = The Road to Mandalay

| prev_year = 2001

| next_title = Somethin' Stupid

| next_year = 2001

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|2FnsJ_Dm4As|"Better Man"}}|header=Audio video}}

}}

"Better Man" is a song by English pop singer Robbie Williams, released as the final single from his third studio album, Sing When You're Winning (2000), in October 2001. It was released only in Australia, New Zealand and Latin America. A music video for the Australian release was produced in 2001, reusing scenes from Williams' "Eternity" music video (since the single was not released in that territory), intercut with a live performance of "Better Man" from his The Sermon on the Mount Tour in Manchester, England, in October 2000, overdubbed with the studio version. The song's title would later go on to serve as the title of Williams' 2024 biopic.

Spanish version

Robbie Williams recorded a Spanish version of the song called "{{lang|es|Ser mejor}}" ("To Be Better"). It was included on the Latin American pressings of Sing When You're Winning.{{cite AV media notes|title=Sing When You're Winning|title-link=Sing When You're Winning|others=Robbie Williams|year=2000|type=Mexican CD album liner notes|publisher=Chrysalis Records|id=7243 5 28505 2 5}}

Release and success

In New Zealand, "Better Man" began receiving airplay in late 2000. It eventually peaked at number four on the RIANZ Singles Chart for four weeks in December 2000 and January 2001. The promotional disc of "Ser mejor" was sent to Latin American radio stations in 2001.{{cite AV media notes|title=Ser mejor|others=Robbie Williams|year=2001|type=Mexican promo CD liner notes|publisher=Chrysalis Records|id=200 1329}} In Australia, "Better Man" was released as a CD single on 22 October 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue608.PDF|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 22nd October 2001|publisher=ARIA|page=24|date=22 October 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue608.PDF|archive-date=20 February 2002|access-date=24 April 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} It appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart the following week, climbing to number eight during its ninth week on the chart and reaching its peak of number six on 20 January 2002, spending four nonconsecutive weeks at that position and remaining in the top 50 for 29 weeks. It sold over 35,000 copies, earning a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Track listing

Australian CD single

  1. "Better Man" – 3:24
  2. "My Way" (live) – 4:35
  3. "Rolling Stone" – 3:43
  4. "Toxic" – 3:51
  5. "Let Love Be Your Energy" (video) – 4:18

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the Sing When You're Winning album booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=Sing When You're Winning|others=Robbie Williams|year=2000|type=UK CD album booklet|publisher=Chrysalis Records|id=7243 5 28125 2 3}}

Studios

Personnel

{{div col}}

{{div col end}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2000–2002)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|6|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Better Man|rowheader=true|refname="aus"}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|4|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Better Man|rowheader=true|refname="nz"}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2000)

!Position

scope="row"|Taiwan (Hito Radio){{cite web|url=http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=2000|title=Hitoradio‧Hit Fm --華人音樂入口指標|publisher=Hit FM|language=zh|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218182819/http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=2000|archive-date=18 December 2017|access-date=5 May 2022}}

|31

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2001)

!Position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2001/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001|publisher=ARIA|access-date=10 April 2021}}

|94

scope="row"|Taiwan (Hito Radio){{cite web|url=http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=2001|title=年度百首單曲: 2001|publisher=Hit FM. Voice of Taipei Broadcasting|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811051359/http://www.hitoradio.com/newweb/chart_2.php?ch_year=2001|language=zh|access-date=3 February 2025|archive-date=11 August 2022}}

|25

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2002)

!Position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2002/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2002|publisher=ARIA|access-date=10 April 2021}}

|31

{{col-end}}

Certifications and sales

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2001|certyear=2001|access-date=10 April 2021|refname="auscert"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Robbie Williams singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Robbie Williams songs

Category:2000 songs

Category:2001 singles

Category:Chrysalis Records singles

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Guy Chambers

Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Power

Category:Songs written by Guy Chambers

Category:Songs written by Robbie Williams