![\"M-33-ROBIN-THICKE\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/M-33-ROBIN-THICKE.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nBy Russell Hall<\/p>\n
Although many artists become more serious with age,\u00a0Robin Thicke sees himself on a reverse course\u2014shedding youthful intensity in favor of a more freewheeling aesthetic. \u201cI started out with very lofty ambitions,\u201d says the 37-year-old. \u201cThe guys I admire got more serious as they got older. John Lennon went from \u2018Help!\u2019 to \u2018Working Class Hero.\u2019 Marvin Gaye went from \u2018Ain\u2019t No Mountain High Enough\u2019 to \u2018What\u2019s Going On.\u2019 I think I\u2019m going the other way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n If paying dues matters, Thicke has earned the right to go any way he chooses. Blurred Lines<\/i>, the smash album he released last year, gained him legions of new pop fans, but his R&B cred has long been established. Blessed with a nimble voice highlighted by a transcendent falsetto, Thicke made inroads with urban audiences\u2014over the course of five previous albums\u2014mainly as a purveyor of smooth, sophisticated soul. \u201cThat music just connected with me,\u201d he says. \u201cFor some reason hip-hop, gospel, R&B and soul music always felt like home.\u201d<\/p>\n Thicke\u2019s connection to music began at home. The son of actor Alan Thicke\u2014star of the \u201980s sitcom Growing Pains<\/i>\u2014and singer-actress Gloria Loring, he immersed himself in music as a way to mitigate the loneliness he felt as a child. \u201cI spent a lot of time by myself,\u201d he says. \u201cThe piano became how I connected with the world.\u201d Forming a group at 14, he made a demo tape that caught the attention of singer-producer Brian McKnight, who helped him secure a record deal with Interscope. For years Thicke toiled behind the scenes, writing,\u00a0co-producing and singing background vocals for such artists as McKnight, Brandy, Jordan Knight and Christina Aguilera.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIt was nice to have money in my pocket, to be making music, and move out of the house at 17,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it also brought a lot of responsibility. Sometimes I wish I\u2019d have been a kid for a bit longer.\u201d<\/p>\n Thicke\u2019s debut album, A Beautiful World<\/i>, was released in 2003 to high expectations. Although one single, \u201cWhen I Get You Alone,\u201d achieved moderate success, commercially the album bombed. A new alliance was forged with white-hot producer Pharrell Williams, and a follow-up album was released three years later. The Evolution of Robin Thicke<\/i> topped the R&B\/hip-hop chart and garnered platinum sales. The ballad \u201cLost Without U\u201d\u2014written for Thicke\u2019s wife, actress Paula Patton\u2014hit No. 1 on the R&B singles chart, making Thicke the first white male since George Michael to achieve that distinction.<\/p>\n Subsequent albums\u2014including 2011\u2019s Love After War<\/i>\u2014failed to match Evolution<\/i>\u2019s success in the marketplace, but Thicke\u2019s reputation as a gifted soul artist was solidified. \u201cI\u2019ve had some good years and some bad years,\u201d he observes. \u201cBut you never want to hover on any one year. You have to continually move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Blurred Lines<\/i> marks a giant leap forward. Highlighted by its irresistibly catchy title track, the album is comprised mostly of breezy, upbeat dance tunes that innovatively straddle funk and pop. A kitschy, Diane Martel\u2013directed video featuring topless models cavorting with Thicke, Williams and guest backing singer T.I. emphasized the playful vibe. \u201cI wanted something silly,\u201d says Thicke of the clip\u2019s concept. \u201cThat sparked Diane to say, \u2018What if we have the girls take their clothes off?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Thicke\u2019s wife also helped shape the direction of the album. At night, after their 3-year-old son was in bed, the couple\u2014who separated in February\u2014would listen to Thicke\u2019s demos. \u201cI would play happy stuff and deeper, sadder stuff,\u201d he says, \u201cand Paula would always want to go back to the happy stuff. I ended up deciding to keep my sadder songs for a later date, and keep this album as much fun as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Since its release, honors and accolades have poured in for Blurred Lines<\/i> \u2014including Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo\/Group Performance, as well as four NAACP Image Awards nominations. Thicke is quick to credit his collaborators\u2014Timbaland, will.i.am, Thicke spoke with us about success, controversy, and why he\u2019s reluctant to call his style R&B.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you have goals for the album?<\/b><\/p>\n I was determined to try something new\u2014mix it up. After writing and producing the first five albums mostly myself I wanted to work with different people, to get new ideas and inspiration. We ended up taking a lighter, more playful approach. But I never begin with a template in mind. I always go in and create, then see what\u2019s happening. I\u2019m not a big \u201cconcept\u201d guy.<\/p>\n What\u2019s behind the upbeat songs?<\/b><\/p>\n As an artist, you try to stay true to where you are in your life. At that time my wife and I wanted to hear and play happy music that made us feel good and celebrate good times. Plus, being in the studio with talents like Pharrell and will.i.am makes you feel like you have fresh blood inside you. It ended up being a celebration of good times album.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Which song set the tone?<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cBlurred Lines.\u201d I loved how happy it made me feel\u2014how fun and different it was. It put us on track for making feel-good, fun music that had a good groove. We actually recorded \u201cBlurred Lines\u201d nine months before the album came out. A few friends started calling randomly, saying it was their favorite. Everyone seemed to like it, but nobody knew what it would become. It was really a case of getting lucky.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What songs followed?<\/b><\/p>\n We made a whole bunch of recordings after that but they didn\u2019t quite blend together. Then, right at the end, I wrote three songs\u2014\u201cOoo La La,\u201d \u201cAin\u2019t No Hat 4 That\u201d and \u201cGet in My Way\u201d\u2014that made the album come together. After months of futility we finally had a good week!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You wrote \u201cThe Good Life\u201d years ago.<\/b><\/p>\n That happens to many songwriters: There\u2019s something you felt wasn\u2019t quite ready yet, and then later it starts to tug at you. \u201cThe Good Life\u201d seemed to resonate stronger than ever. With the lack of commercial success of my last album, I felt, \u201cCan I still realize and appreciate this great life I have?\u201d To have a beautiful family and be able to do what you love to do\u2014even if it\u2019s not a great success\u2014is still a good life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why did you start writing songs?<\/b><\/p>\n I loved music so much I started teaching myself to play piano so that I could<\/i> write songs. I also felt a sense of isolation\u2014that was very much a factor. I spent a lot of time alone in a big house, and the piano was there. You find a way to deal with your loneliness or find some sense of worth. If you can write songs, you start to like yourself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What elements went into your style?<\/b><\/p>\n My mom listened to a lot of soul singers, and my dad liked the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger\u2014he loved strong voices, guys who rock out. And I listened to a lot of hip-hop. Somewhere along the way I blended those three together. My main topics are love and romance\u2014making love or finding love or needing love. I\u2019m sort of a hippie in that respect. I want everyone around me to be happy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is your music contemporary R&B?<\/b><\/p>\n No, I call myself a soul artist. R&B\u2019s a little different. If you play my albums next to albums by true R&B artists, you might say, \u201cWell, that\u2019s not really R&B.\u201d It\u2019s been a mixture. There are some rock songs and some Beatles-type stuff. I always try to mix it up and make my own brand of music. When you think of the greats\u2014Stevie Wonder and Prince and Michael Jackson\u2014you don\u2019t necessarily think of them as R&B singers. They made their own type of music. I try to do that. I try to make music that I like to hear\u2014and then hope others like it as well.<\/p>\n When did you realize you could sing?<\/b><\/p>\n Probably when I was 10. I started to sing for people. I would find myself doing Prince or Michael Jackson on the school bus. And then a couple of buddies of mine, when they tried to get girls, would say, \u201cHey Rob, sing for the girls!\u201d (laughs<\/i>) I became the token entertainer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did you take vocal lessons?<\/b><\/p>\n Just one\u2014but it wasn\u2019t right for me. Years later I had some instruction in vocal strengthening, but I really wanted to find my own path instead of having someone coach me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Did the years spent writing and producing others serve you well?<\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure it did. It\u2019s all about exercising the songwriting muscle. I was lucky as a young writer to be on a couple dozen gold and platinum albums by the time I was 21. Then I realized my real dream was to become a recording artist, so I started putting all my time into that. That\u2019s when all that songwriting and production time worked to my advantage. It\u2019s the 10,000 hours theory.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Were you encouraged along\u00a0<\/b>the way?<\/b><\/p>\n Various people helped at different stages. Brian McKnight was very helpful when I was about 15. He helped me land a record deal at Interscope, recorded songs with me, and got people to take me seriously. After that, when I was 17, I wrote and produced most of Jordan Knight\u2019s first solo album. After writing and producing for other artists, when I was 21 I had my own little studio and decided it was time to work on my music.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you enjoy showmanship?<\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019ve gotten more into that lately. When I was younger I just wanted to jam. As time passes you see how the audience responds to certain things, and you want to add a little mustard. You want to be a great artist, but you also want to entertain people\u2014make them happy, give them something they\u2019ll remember. Lately I\u2019ve been trying to put that icing on the cake.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So you\u2019re hands-on staging the show?<\/b><\/p>\n You have to be. You try to hire people who are smarter than you are, and then use your own tastes to put on the finishing touches. The new shows will be more elaborate\u2014actually, the biggest production I\u2019ve been a part of. As far as the set list goes, you try to include the songs that are most entertaining, or that bring out the most emotion in the audience. We\u2019ll certainly feature a lot from the new album, but for people who\u2019ve been following me for years, there will be back catalog stuff as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The \u201cBlurred Lines\u201d video sparked controversy.<\/b><\/p>\n My initial response was, \u201cI don\u2019t think we should put out the topless version.\u201d But over time, after playing it for a bunch of people whose opinions I trust, we decided to go with it. That included my wife and some of her girlfriends. Everyone was provoked and titillated and seemed to love it. As far as controversy goes, I\u2019m just taking these things as they come. A lot of it is new for me\u2014I\u2019m learning on the fly how to handle those things. But I have no complaints.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Has all the attention been a good thing?<\/b><\/p>\n It\u2019s all great, crazy, exciting\u2014and<\/i> nerve-wracking. You\u2019d think this sort of success would provide a sense of calm and peace, but instead it gets you even more jacked up. It\u2019s like riding a wild horse\u2014beautiful, breathtaking and nauseating at the same time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you bothered that some have dismissed you as an overnight success?<\/b><\/p>\n I don\u2019t mind. The people who know you understand. You have to take it all with a grain of salt and be glad you created one song that a whole lot of people like. That doesn\u2019t happen very often. I\u2019m trying to enjoy it. I don\u2019t want to put too much pressure on myself, or else I\u2019ll miss this moment. I\u2019m trying to relax, and hopefully when it\u2019s time to make some new magic, that magic will show up.\u00a0 M<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nDr. Luke and Williams\u2014for the album\u2019s success. \u201cI needed them to get me out of my head,\u201d he says. \u201cThey don\u2019t bring their issues to a song. It\u2019s all about moving it forward\u2014having a good time, as opposed to me going, \u2018Sit down, let me tell you my problems.\u2019 I took out the melodrama.\u201d<\/p>\n