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Rick Astley Has Never Rickrolled Anyone — But Says He ‘Appreciates the Life’ the Viral Song Gave Him

Rick Astley, the English singer behind the viral track "Never Gonna Give You Up" and the Rickroll trend that followed, says he's never pulled the prank on anyone — but has nothing but appreciation for the life the song's popularity granted him.

He narrates his unusual trajectory as a pop icon — rising to stardom at 21, his “retirement” from music in his late 20s amid a depressive period and his return to the spotlight as “Never Gonna Give You Up” got its second wind — in a new memoir, Never: The Autobiography, out Jan. 21. “I understand a lot of artists would freak and would have a meltdown if somebody instigated this thing,” acknowledges Astley, but adds that he “appreciates the life it gave me.” The performer also isn’t afraid to admit that there was “so much luck involved” in the song’s massive popularity: “You can either recognize it as that, even at the time or certainly later, or you can say, ‘No, I’m amazing, it would’ve happened anyway.’ And I fall into the first camp,” says Astley.

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