Party Like a Russian
{{Infobox song
| name = Party Like a Russian
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Robbie Williams
| album = The Heavy Entertainment Show
| released = 30 September 2016
| recorded = June{{snd}}July 2015
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:02
| label = Columbia
| writer = {{Flat list|
| producer = {{Flat list|
- Guy Chambers
- Richard Flack}}
| prev_title = The Days
| prev_year = 2014
| next_title = Love My Life
| next_year = 2016
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|MdYGQ7B0Vew|"Party Like a Russian"}}}}
}}
"Party Like a Russian" is a song by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released as the lead single from his eleventh studio album The Heavy Entertainment Show (2016). The single was released in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2016. The song was written by Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers and Chris Heath. The chorus of the song samples Sergei Prokofiev's Montagues and Capulets.{{Cite web|url=http://www.whosampled.com/sample/456259/Robbie-Williams-Party-Like-a-Russian-Sergei-Prokofiev-Dance-of-the-Knights/|title=Robbie Williams's 'Party Like a Russian' – Discover the Sample Source|website=WhoSampled|access-date=11 October 2016}}
Background and lyrics
An email that surfaced due to the Surkov leaks revealed that Russian businessman Roman Abramovich hired Williams to headline a New Year's dinner for President Putin's inner circle. The party took place in Moscow in 2014 and appears to have been the inspiration for "Party Like a Russian".{{cite news|last1=Tucker|first1=Maxim|title=Email leak reveals Robbie entertained top Putin aide|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/email-leak-reveals-robbie-entertained-top-putin-aide-sn6lrjhg9|work=The Sunday Times|date=28 October 2016}}
The lyrics to the song deal with Russian oligarchs who funnel enormous sums of money overseas, to the detriment of the Russian people, with much of it going to ridiculous yachts and other excesses. Williams starts the song with "It takes a certain kind of man with a certain reputation, to alleviate the cash from a whole entire nation, take my loose change and build my own space station." Later, commenting on his yacht, he sings "It takes half the Western world just to keep the ship afloat".
He also sings, "Ain't no refutin' or disputin' – I'm a modern Rasputin." Williams dismissed speculation that the song was an oblique criticism of Vladimir Putin, writing on Twitter that "this song is definitely not about Mr Putin",{{cite tweet|url=https://twitter.com/robbiewilliams/status/781802781556477952|author=Williams, Robbie |user=robbiewilliams|number=781802781556477952|date=30 September 2016|title=I love you Dan but this song is definitely not about Mr Putin x}} and elsewhere observing that "Russians are ridiculously good partiers".{{cite news|last1=Kashin|first1=Oleg|title=Russians outraged by 'crude stereotyping' in Robbie Williams video|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/05/robbie-williams-party-like-a-russian-video|work=The Guardian|date=5 October 2016}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/06/robbie-williams-right-russians-party|title=Robbie Williams is right – Russians sure do know how to party|author=Natalia Antonova|work=The Guardian|date=2016-10-06}}
Music video
The music video for the song satirizes the hedonistic parties of the Russian elites. It drew criticism for its portrayal of Russian culture.{{cite news|last1=Hume|first1=Tim|last2=Burrows|first2=Emma|title=Robbie Williams accused of stereotyping Russians in new single|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/entertainment/robbie-williams-russia-controversy/|work=CNN|date=5 October 2016}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (2016)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Austria|39|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=13 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Flanders|18|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|CIS|181|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|songid=76615|rowheader=true|access-date=31 October 2021}} |
| scope="row"| France (SNEP){{cite web|url=http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2016&we=46|title=Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 46, 2016)|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|language=French|accessdate=19 November 2016}}
| 66 |
| {{single chart|Germany|72|songid=1596065|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Hungaryradio|12|year=2016|week=46|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=25 November 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Hungarysingle|30|year=2016|week=41|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=21 October 2016}} |
| scope="row"| Italy (FIMI){{cite web|url=http://www.fimi.it/classifiche#/category:digital/id:2371|title=Classifica settimanale WK 46|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|language=Italian|accessdate=19 November 2016}}
| 42 |
| {{single chart|Scotland|19|date=2016-10-07|rowheader=true|accessdate=8 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Slovakia|38|year=2016|week=42|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|Switzerland|45|artist=Robbie Williams|song=Party Like a Russian|rowheader=true|accessdate=14 November 2016}} |
| {{single chart|UK|68|date=2016-10-07|rowheader=true|accessdate=8 October 2016}} |
| {{single chart|UKdownload|23|date=2016-10-07|rowheader=true|accessdate=8 October 2016}} |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Robbie Williams singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Robbie Williams songs
Category:Songs written by Robbie Williams
Category:Popular songs based on classical music
Category:Songs written by Guy Chambers
Category:Songs written by Chris Heath