Stars don't come a whole lot bigger than Robbie Williams... at least, that's the case everywhere except in the States.

While Williams can't walk down the street in Europe without attracting mobs of fans, the former Take That member is still a relative unknown on U.S. soil. However, with his upcoming album "The Ego Has Landed," he is hoping to up his Stateside visibility, and already has a machine in motion to make sure he does.

Williams unabashed love of the spotlight earned him a spot in "Spin" magazine's recent salute to a new wave of rock stars, and he will soon return to newsstands as the cover boy for "Paper" magazine. Williams will be spotted offering up his best cheeky grin on the cover, which pegs him "Britain's #1 Bad Boy." Inside the mag, Williams flashes his tattoos and offers his pants to the cover story's author. The issue hits newsstands this weekend.

While Williams is doing his best to get his face (and his other parts) out there, he's also trying to get

Americans warmed up to his sound as well. The global pop phenom is taking to the annual South By Southwest music conference this week to play for industry insiders.

He is hoping to bring his sound to people who actually buy records with the first video from "The Ego Has Landed," the James Bond-themed clip for "Millennium."