"Millennium" is a song by the English singer Robbie Williams, released as the first single from his second studio album, I've Been Expecting You, on 7 September 1998. "Millennium" interpolates "You Only Live Twice", the Nancy Sinatra theme from the 1967 James Bond film.

Chambers then created a simple bassline for the verses. When Williams' lyrics were mostly done, Chambers felt it lacked "an obvious title for the track", and suggested "Millennium" for being "both strong and topical". Chambers said in a retrospective review, "There was a lot of talk about the millennium back then, it's a bit like the 'Brexit' word now". Chambers asked for a "football chant", which only had a melody before Williams came up with "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough", a phrase used by Melanie C during the 1997 Brit Awards and directed at Liam Gallagher, whom Williams was also feuding with.

The whole writing process took about four hours. Chambers described "Millennium" as "the simplest song Robbie and I have ever written - only two chords. And it's written in D flat major, which is very unusual in pop music."

Once co-producer Steve Power heard the demo they found potential for a single given it showed a different sound from Williams' debut album Life thru a Lens. As Power explained: "It had the more programming-based feel that we wanted to introduce on the second album in order to get away from the guitar-based feel of the first album, and it already had the chorus hook, the Bond theme sample, on the demo version, which I remember mixing before last Christmas."

Trident Studios in London was used for the majority of the recordings, including drums, bass and samples for the backing track, and the backing vocals, which included three female session singers and male vocals by Williams' guitarist Gary Nuttall. Williams' vocals were done at Jacobs Studios in Surrey. features Williams parodying James Bond, complete with dinner jacket and references to Bond films like Thunderball and From Russia with Love. The video was filmed at Pinewood Studios, home to most Bond productions. During the video, Williams travels in an aeroplane and fails to fly a futuristic jet pack. He is also seen flirting with several 'Bond Girls' - including Lorraine Pascale - in an over-the-top manner and caricaturing the facial expressions of Sean Connery. He is seen in a boat, clearly a studio model, against an obviously projected background characteristic of 1960s Bond films. During the end of the video, Williams drives away in an economy car, a Bond Bug, instead of 007's Aston Martin DB5, which later drives past him while he is having car trouble.

At the 1999 Brit Awards, "Millennium" won the award for British Video of the Year.

Track listings

UK CD1

  1. "Millennium" – 4:06
  2. "Love Cheat" (demo version) – 3:46
  3. "Rome Munich Rome" (demo version) – 3:05

UK CD2 and cassette single

  1. "Millennium" – 4:06
  2. "Lazy Days" (original version) – 4:29
  3. "Angels" (live) – 5:38

European CD single

  1. "Millennium" – 4:06
  2. "Angels" (live) – 5:38

Australian and Japanese CD single

  1. "Millennium" – 4:06
  2. "Angels" (live) – 5:38
  3. "Rome Munich Rome" (demo version) – 3:05
  4. "Love Cheat" (demo version) – 3:46

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the I've Been Expecting You album booklet.

Studio

  • Mastered at Metropolis Mastering (London, England)

Personnel

  • Robbie Williams – writing, vocals
  • Guy Chambers – writing, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass synth, keyboards, production, arrangement
  • Leslie Bricusse – writing
  • John Barry – writing
  • Gary Nuttall – background vocals
  • Claudia Fontaine – background vocals
  • Beverley Skeete – background vocals
  • Nicole Patterson – background vocals
  • Chris Sharrock – drums
  • Andy Duncan – percussion
  • London Session Orchestra – orchestra
  • Gavyn Wright – orchestra leader
  • Nick Ingman – orchestral arrangement
  • Steve Power – production, recording, mixing, programming
  • Steve McNichol – programming
  • Steve Price – orchestral engineering
  • Tony Cousins – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1998–1999)

!Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Estonia (Eesti Top 20)

|7

|-

!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)

|7

|-

!scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio)

|1

|-

!scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)

|15

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Hungary (Mahasz)

|4

|-

!scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)

|13

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Italy (Musica e dischi)

|7

|-

!scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media)

|3

|-

!scope="row"|Latvia (Latvijas Top 40)

|3

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Spain (AFYVE)

|2

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week)

|1

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|US CHR/Pop Top 50 (Radio & Records)

|align="center"|18

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot AC (Radio & Records)

|align="center"| 19

|-

|}

Year-end charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1998)

!Position

|-

!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)

|83

|-

!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)

|49

|-

!scope="row"|Europe (European Hit Radio)

|13

|-

!scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)

|92

|-

!scope="row"|Latvia (Latvijas Top 50)

|30

|-

!scope="row"|Sweden (Hitlistan)

|96

|-

!scope="row"|Taiwan (Hito Radio)

|97

|-

!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)

|29

|-

!scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week)

|12

|}

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1999)

!Position

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)

|35

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)

|59

|-

!scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Week)

|46

|-

!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)

|75

|-

!scope="row"|US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)

|99

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot AC (Radio & Records)

|align="center"|72

|-

|}

Certifications

Release history

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|

|-

!scope="row"|United Kingdom

|7 September 1998

|

|rowspan="2"|Chrysalis

|align="center"|

|-

!scope="row"|Japan

|30 September 1998

|CD

|align="center"|

|-

!scope="row"|United States

|6 April 1999

|

|Capitol

|align="center"|

|}

References