Sexed Up

Album: Escapology (2002)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Sexed Up" is a deeply bitter breakup song Robbie Williams originally wrote alongside his longtime collaborator Guy Chambers in 1998. Williams claims he's indifferent to the fact his lover has left him, with the British singer snarling in the bridge: "Screw you, I didn't like your taste anyway." Williams later admitted "Sexed Up" came out harsher than he intended, adding: "I just found myself tripping over each lyric until it became that song, which is pretty vitriolic for a subject that's so heartbreaking."
  • After performing this song on The Robbie Williams Show in 2002, Williams denied it was about "a certain person who goes out with a guy in a rock band," before actually admitting "it might be." This is a reference to Nicole Appleton of All Saints, whom Williams was briefly engaged to in the late '90s. Appleton went on to date and marry Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher. This resulted in a nasty rivalry between the two men, culminating in Williams challenging Gallagher to a boxing match at the BRIT Awards in March 2000.
  • Williams initially offered this song to "Torn" singer Natalie Imbruglia. After she turned it down, he decided to keep it for himself.
  • "Sexed Up" was first released in demo form as a B-side to the I've Been Expecting You single "No Regrets." The demo version features slightly different lyrics, with Williams singing "I'll lay a bet, that I'm okay" instead of "I can't awaken the dead, day after day" in the opening verse.
  • The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who'd previously worked with Williams on the clip for "Come Undone."

    American actress Jaime King plays Williams' love interest in the visual. King has since credited the video for boosting her career, with the former model going on to star alongside Bruce Willis in 2005's Sin City.
  • "Sexed Up" was released as the fourth and final single from Williams' fifth album, Escapology. The song peaked at #10 in the UK. "Sexed Up" also gained a huge amount of airplay in Brazil after appearing in the telenovela Mulheres Apaixonadas as the theme music for the characters Diogo and Marina.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.