In the wake of the recent birth of his first child, Robert Pattinson is taking a well-deserved break from the spotlight. The actor and his partner, singer and actress Katy Perry, are spending time with their growing family. Despite the hectic schedule that parenting brings, Pattinson has still found time to work on a new album. When he is not in the studio recording, the couple can be found playing with their children in the garden. We spoke to Pattinson about taking a break from the spotlight, putting an album out and learning to be a househusband.
From Global Fame to Family Man
The ‘Twilight’ actor has enjoyed a truly remarkable career. He was catapulted to global fame following the phenomenal success of the vampire romance series. Since then, Pattinson has starred in a number of high-profile movies including ‘Mad Max: Fuelled by Vengeance’ and ‘Water for Elephants’, in which he plays the role of Jay Gatsby. For many, he is best known for playing the loveable and lovable Ed Wood in the 2014 biopic ‘Woodstock’.
Pattinson’s incredible success has not gone unnoticed and he has been recognised with numerous accolades, including a place on our 50 Most Globalised celebrities list, which tracks the integration of celebrities’ careers and lives into the globalised society.
The ‘Cosmo’ actor has seen his profile rise steadily over the years, becoming one of the most prominent and recognisable British actors abroad. His global standing has only been enhanced by his relationship with Perry. The pair met while filming ‘Eclipse’ and have been seen hitting the town together in Los Angeles. They were together for five years before tying the knot in 2018. The couple have a wedding chapel in Beverly Hills, which was built especially for them.
Pattinson’s life has been turned upside down since the birth of his daughter Alice last year. The actor has spoken openly about his struggle with post-natal depression. “I was in a real dark place after having Alice. I felt like she was the light that could save me,” he told British GQ. “I had these weird visions of angels and fairies and stuff. When the sun came up, I wouldn’t sleep for hours. I had to learn how to parent in the dark.”
The actor is also keen to put an end to the stigma surrounding post-natal depression. He would like to see mental health awareness raised among celebrities, as well as the general public. “I think it’s such a shame that when people are having a tough time, they can’t admit it. They have to play it cool,” he said. “If you’re having a tough time, there’s no shame in that. It’s not your fault, you’re not the one who’s meant to feel bad. The stigma is why a lot of us keep it hidden.”
An Album In The Works
After years of speculation, it was finally confirmed that Pattinson is working on a new album back in April this year. The actor surprised fans with the announcement of his first solo album in a decade. Titled ‘Everyday’, the album will be released on 24 October via Capitol Records. It will be preceded by the single ‘Sober’ on 14 October.
It is somewhat of a comeback album for Pattinson, whose last album ‘Maturin’ was released 14 years ago. However, the singer-songwriter does not intend to fill the void left by Ed Sheens, as he says that he does not want to be “that guy”. The album features appearances from a wide range of artists, including Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd and Travis Scott. It was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It and Kendrick Lamar’s brother, Swae Lee. The latter two contributed a song each to the album.
Speaking of songwriting, Kendrick Lamar is credited with helping Pattinson write the lyrics for the song ‘Sober’. The Black Panther performer reportedly spent “a lot of time” working with the singer on the new album. “Kendrick wrote the lyrics to ‘Sober’ and helped me with the music,” he said in an interview with GQ. “We worked on that song for about four or five hours. It was a lot of fun.”
Pattinson is no stranger to the art form. The actor has been seen performing his songs live, including the Grammy-nominated ‘Cosmo’. He also has a history of making music videos, including a clip for his collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘I Want You To Know’.
While ‘Sober’ appears to be the first single from ‘Everyday’ to be released, fans of ‘Twilight’ may recognise ‘The Day’, which was first featured on the soundtrack to the 2014 romantic comedy. The song, which was also featured in the film’s trailer, was co-written by Charlie Puth, who recently revealed that he had written lyrics to the tune. Puth said that he got the idea for the song while watching Pattinson’s acting in ‘Twilight’.
“[Director] Bill [Condon] was like, ‘You gotta work on this pitch with Robert,’” Puth told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “I was like, ‘Okay.’ I went into the room, and he was like, ‘What do you have?’ And I was like, ‘Well, I don’t have much’. And he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s kind of like that.’ And then he wrote the song in about 15 minutes.”
Pattinson first teased the existence of his new album in March, when he tweeted a picture of himself with a dog tag that featured the album’s title. Since then, he has given several interviews where he has talked about the new project. At one point, he said that it will be “his deepest album to date”. It seems that Pattinson is dedicated to keeping his listeners waiting patiently for the album’s release.
Househusbands, Coming Soon.
Pattinson has also discussed how he intends to raise his family following the birth of his daughter. As his fame increased, so did the number of offers for him to play a part in movies. The actor says that he loves acting, but finds the business side of it “sad”. He would like to explore a new side to his career, which is why he has taken up a largely “sheltered” life since the birth of his daughter. While he has worked tirelessly to ensure that her needs are met, he admits that the last year has taken a lot out of him.
“I love making films and doing theatre, I just find the whole business side of it a bit depressing,” he said in an interview with Wonderland magazine. “I have to remind myself that this is a job and I need to do it for as long as I can. Parenthood is the most important thing in my life right now. I want to be a father who shares lots of joy with his child.”
Pattinson’s dedication to parenthood is evident in the array of activities that he gets involved with to continue enjoying life as a parent. The ‘Cosmo’ actor has taken up baby walking, which he says helps him to bond with his daughter. He has also become an “avid” knitter, which he says has helped to pass the time while spending time with his family. Since they began parenting, the couple have mostly stayed at home, cooking meals for their daughter and playing with her in the garden.
However, the world certainly does not stop for the family once they enter the kitchen. Pattinson has said that he and Perry have started a parenting blog, while he has also expressed interest in becoming a stay-at-home dad. He told Vogue that he would like to see more prominent and successful parents bring up their children in a way that is “authentic” to them.
“Bringing up children is incredibly challenging, and I think parents should be celebrated for doing that. I would like to be a parent who is present and accessible for my child, who is not afraid to show their emotions,” he said. “Bringing up a child does not mean you have to be perfect, it just means you have to be there.”