Watch Robbie Williams and Tony Iommi discuss collaboration in behind-the-scenes footage of ‘Rocket’ music video

Robbie Williams has shared a behind-the-scenes video from his ‘Rocket’ shoot, which includes a clip of him discussing the collaboration with Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi – see what they had to say below.

• READ MORE: Robbie Williams on working with Tony Iommi, ‘BRITPOP’, Glastonbury and his bromance with Soft Play

The former Take That star is preparing to release his first studio album in almost a decade, also titled ‘BRITPOP’, in the autumn (pre-order here). The album has so far been previewed by the blistering rock single ‘Rocket’, which features Iommi ripping through a wicked guitar solo. Iommi also appears in the video for ‘Rocket’.

In the new behind-the-scenes clip, the pair are seen snapping photos together and sharing a chat after wrapping on the shoot. Joined by backing musicians Karl Brazil and guitarist Tom Longworth, Robbie explains how the collaboration came to be.

Williams shared, “Karl, who is my drummer, is a Brummie. He’s friends with the royalty here in Birmingham. I’ve got this track ‘Rocket’, which needed a bit of poke.” Turning to Iommi, he continued: “Which you… it’s my honour that you said yes and have come to give it a bit of poke. And here we are, that’s it.”

Iommi responded: “No, I like it. It’s really good.” Earlier in the video, Iommi also shared with Karl that he had just agreed to sell Williams his signature Gibson SG guitar from the shoot.

Watch Robbie Williams’ and Tony Iommi’s interactions below.

Prior to the behind-the-scenes video being released, Iommi has been talking up the collaboration on social media. Following the music video’s release, he wrote on Facebook: “What an honour to be featured on Robbie Williams’ new single ‘Rocket’. A genuinely great guy with a very talented band”. He said in a separate post: “A great pleasure to appear alongside Robbie Williams in the official music video for his new song ‘Rocket’.”

Earlier this year, Williams teased that he had a collaboration with Iommi in the words. “This [track] is massive guitars, as you can imagine,” he’d previously said of the song. “It’s adrenaline-filled and balls-to-the-wall.” He also said that while the track was more rock-influenced, “pop songs turned up along the way” while he was working on the album.

NME caught up with Williams last month when he received the Icon Award at the Ivors 2025. Asked about collaborating with Iommi for his comeback single, the ‘Angels’ hitmaker replied: “How lucky am I? The audacity for both of us – [one of Black Sabbath] featuring on a Robbie Williams song. God bless him for doing that, and God bless me for my audacity!”

As for the rest of Williams’ ‘BRITPOP’ album, he’s said he set out to create the album he wanted to write after leaving Take That in 1995. “I’ve worked with some of my heroes on this album; it’s raw, there are more guitars and it’s an album that’s even more upbeat and anthemic than usual. There’s some ‘Brit’ in there and there’s certainly some ‘pop’ too – I’m immensely proud of this as a body of work.”

The new album’s cover artwork nods to one of Robbie’s most iconic looks, the red tracksuit worn to Glastonbury Festival in 1995 when he partied with Oasis at the height of the Britpop era. In another call back to that era, Williams is notably going on tour at the same time as the Gallagher brothers’ return.

Reflecting on whether ‘BRITPOP’ will recapture the hedonism of the ‘90s, he said to NME at the Ivor Novello Awards: “If hedonism is Jaffa Cake-based or Cadbury’s Fruit And Nut, then I’m in. Everything else I’ve got to park until I die. If I don’t park it, it’ll kill me.”

Elaborating on his guitar-heavy new sound, he continued: “I was playing it safe and I’ve not been driving my own car. I’ve not had my hands on the wheel through second-thinking myself and guessing what people like. I just wanted to do something that I like.”

Since announcing ‘BRITPOP’ and releasing ‘Rocket’, Williams has debuted the punchy rock track at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Saturday (May 31) to kick off his stadium tour. Williams is continuing the ‘BRITPOP’ UK tour over the coming weeks, and you can find any remaining tickets here.

• READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne and Tony Iommi tell us about Black Sabbath’s finale: “Usually this thing is done when you’re dead”

As for Tony Iommi, he’s gearing up for Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s final-ever show next month. In February, the legendary metal band announced that they will play their last ever show at their beloved Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5.

Speaking to NME back in February, Iommi and Sharon Osbourne teased what to expect from Sabbath’s final concert, while also providing an update on Ozzy’s health.

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“He’s really great. He’s got Parkinson’s, which we all know, but he’s great and it doesn’t affect his voice,” said Sharon. Iommi added: “This will do him good, to do this show. It really will. That’s what it’s all about: he wants to get out and do something.”

Osbourne previously stated that he would only be playing “little bits and pieces” with Black Sabbath at the final reunion gig. The frontman has since returned to the gym in order to prepare for the performance.

The concert will raise funds for three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Birmingham-based Acorns Children’s Hospice – a Children’s Hospice supported by Aston Villa Football Club.

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