"Swings Both Ways" is the tenth studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released on November 15, 2013. It is his second swing album, following the 2001 release Swing When You're Winning. Unlike the latter, which contained only one original composition, Swings Both Ways features a mix of covers and six new tracks. The album also marks Williams' first major collaboration with longtime partner Guy Chambers since 2002's Escapology. Chambers produced the album and co-wrote most of the new material with Williams.
Upon release, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 109,000 copies, making it the 1,000th number-one album in UK history. This also marked Williams' eleventh UK number-one album, putting him in joint-second place with Elvis Presley for the most number-one albums in the UK. Internationally, the album performed well, charting in the top ten in several countries, including Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Italy, and Sweden, while reaching number one in Austria, Croatia, Germany, and Switzerland. By June 2014, the album had sold over 1.6 million copies worldwide. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Swings Both Ways was the 18th best-selling global album of 2013.
The album was officially announced by Williams in September 2013 and released by Island Records. It includes both cover versions of classic songs and original tracks written by Williams and Chambers. Collaborations with other artists on the album include duets with Lily Allen, Michael Bublé, Kelly Clarkson, Olly Murs, and Rufus Wainwright.
Williams explained his motivation for the album, saying he had always planned to do another swing album, and that he was in the right frame of mind to create one. He described Swings Both Ways as a tribute to an era in music he had always admired but never experienced. While the album started out with plans to be similar to his first swing album, he ultimately decided to include original songs as well, making it a more personal project.
Lily Allen spoke about her experience working with Williams on the track "Dream A Little Dream," calling it one of her favorite songs. Olly Murs, who collaborated with Williams on "I Wan’na Be Like You," expressed his excitement about the project, while Rufus Wainwright called working with Williams a "dream come true."
The first single from the album, "Go Gentle," was released on November 10, 2013. The second single, "Dream a Little Dream," followed on December 13, 2013. A promotional single, "Shine My Shoes," was released on September 12, 2013, ahead of the album's official release. It was later issued as the third single on March 24, 2014.
Swings Both Ways performed strongly on the UK charts, initially debuting at number one and achieving the milestone of the 1,000th UK number one album. After dropping to number three in its second week, it climbed back to number one in its fourth week, selling 126,000 copies, a 31% increase from the previous week. By the end of 2013, it was the fourth best-selling album of the year in the UK, with 626,000 copies sold, excluding multi-artist compilations.
