Robbie fails to entertain

US pop pundits were today pessimistic about Robbie Williams's chances of cracking the American market after a troubled start for the British star.

The former Take That singer flopped at a high profile pre-Grammy awards performance in New York last week, failing to rouse the crowd, most of whom were there to see rap group Public Enemy who headlined the event.

Williams admitted today: "They were a really hard audience. I was really scared."

Craig Marks, editor of US music magazine Blender, estimated the singer has only a 40% likelihood of succeeding across the Atlantic.

"He has a couple of strikes against him. He does everything with a layer of irony that doesn't translate well here. It's hardwired into his being."

Williams, 29, has sold 28 million albums worldwide during his solo career, but remains a relative unknown in the US.

Bosses at struggling record company EMI have put their hopes of a revival on turning the performer into a household name in America.

They offered him the most lucrative record deal in UK pop history last year, worth £50 million, despite a slump in the company's share price.

Sean Ross, Group Editor at Airplay Monitor, which has a crucial role in deciding US chart positions, said it was too early to say whether Williams could make it in America.

"There are certainly records that are too British to translate over here, or are perceived as too British to make the cut, but Robbie Williams isn't one of those," he told the New York Times.