You have to hand it to Robbie.

Robbie Williams may be sizing up his next move, but whatever he decides, he's here to stay

No artist from the UK can match the consistent level of success which Robbie Williams has achieved over the past decade.

He is, in pure commercial terms, the closest thing the music industry has to a banker. If he weren't so cheeky, he would be considered a national treasure.

I'll lay my cards on the table - I think Williams' new single Rudebox is fabulous, drawn from an album with some superb moments.

And, while we're confessing: for me, Williams is one of the top lyricists of our age. He is a great lyricist in the way that Eminem, Ray Davies and Morrissey are all great lyricists - his words are instantly recognisable and, in many cases, could emerge from the pen of no other individual.

Williams is not what most people would consider to be a particularly deep thinker. But he is a highly complex and fascinating individual - anyone who has read Chris Heath's superb Feel biography would attest to that. This is what gives his lyrics their edge.

He is certainly not without opinions either. In Williams' interview with Music Week this week, Williams reflects on how he is perceived, his ...