The hidden success of Robbie Williams ahead of Heavy Entertainment Show album release

British pop star Robbie Williams is making a comeback. The former Take That singer has announced that his brand new album, Heavy Entertainment Show, is set for release in November 2016. Williams revealed the news with a 40-second trailer, which premiered on ITV during an X Factor ad-break on 25 September and features the singer playing the role of two boxers sparring in the ring.

Heavy Entertainment Show includes songwriting credits from the likes of Ed Sheeran, The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers and Guy Chambers. Speaking to Beats 1 radio host Julie Adenuga about the album, Williams, 42, said: "I've been working on this album like I work on all the other albums.

"It's been a process of three years, some of these songs that have been on the album I've had three years ago, and I've had on my computer and I've been very excited about them, and the new ones have taken their place and then the old ones have gone, and then the old ones come back up, the new ones, it's just a process that's been years in the making."

It will be Williams' first studio album since 2013's Swings Both Ways which debuted at number one in the UK and was certified platinum twice by the British Phonographic Industry.

The Let Me Entertain You hitmaker has worked with Chambers over the course of his solo career and describes the songwriter as his "musical brother".

Williams explained: "We're back in each others' lives and I love him, he's my musical brother, and you know, he's my spiritual brother. We just try to get back into the studio and recreate some magic, and hopefully reconnect with what made it and us successful in the first place."

In August 2016, Williams announced that he had signed an exclusive worldwide record contract with Columbia Records under the Sony Music umbrella. He said in a statement: "The team at Sony are professional, incredibly hungry, and have a great energy. They're inspired, I'm inspired. I'm more ready than I ever have been and I'm totally convinced I'm in the right place. I look forward to working on this album, which is an album I'm immensely proud of, in this exciting new partnership with Sony Music."

Watch Robbie Williams' album trailer:

Secret solo success

While Williams' fame as a member of Take That – the UK's biggest-selling boy band – is quite obvious, his success as a solo artist is often rarely publicised. The Candy singer entered history books after scoring the 1,000th number one album since UK charts began with Swings Both Ways. The LP became Williams' 11th chart-topping album (including compilations) matching his record to that of Elvis Presley as a male solo artist.

Williams is one of the best-selling British solo artists with more than 75 million records sold, a total of 34 weeks spent in the top spot and seven number one singles. The musician proved to be just as popular, if not more, than Take That in 2006 when he entered the Guinness Book Of Records for the most tickets sold in one day – 1.6 million were snapped up for Williams' Close Encounters tour.

Adding to his bevy of accolades, Williams is also the most awarded Brit Award-winner with a boastful collection of 17 statues. Whether you like him or loathe him, Williams is a national treasure in the music industry and the odds are in his favour to nab his 12th number one album.

Heavy Entertainment Show is set for release on 4 November 2016.