Robin Thicke’s album, Blurred Lines, debuts this week.
Robin’s “Blurred Lines,” has all but officially become the song of the summer, finally earning him the recognition–in his own right–that is long overdue.
This week the full-fledged album, also called Blurred Lines, debuts, and you know what, it’s good. It’s Justin Timberlake caliber, pure, pop music.
Thicke has produced, along with musical partners Pharrell Williams and T.I., one of the best albums of the year. The tracks “Take It Easy On Me” and “Get In My Way,” have an Earth, Wind and Fire vibe that has made Thicke the latest master of blue-eyed soul.
If I was at a club, I could dance along to most of this album. If one wanted to see what was making it musically these days, this is it. All 11 tracks here are killer.
When I first started reading about “Blurred Lines,” I wondered why I hadn’t heard it, when in fact I had! I just thought it sounded so much like the late English singer/songwriter Robert Palmer that it was one of his old songs.
Palmer’s 1986 hits “Addicted To Love” and “Simply Irresistible” helped launch the MTV music video era with Terence Donovan-directed videos featuring gorgeous models.
Thicke also put together a video featuring an alluring array of topless women, again, echoing Palmer’s themes. He’s drawn some heat for the explicit clip because “Blurred Lines” has become popular among teens.
Thicke claims that the idea for the video came from his equally stellar wife Paula Patton. She recently said she insisted on appearing topless in a love scene for her new movie “2 Guns,” because it felt “more natural.” Could it be possible? Hey, anything is in Hollyweird.
Although Thicke is known as a songwriter, the tune was actually written by T.I. and Pharrell. It’s totally hypnotic. Before long, you’re humming the captivating melody and singing lyrics.
Meanwhile, dad Alan Thicke made his own mark in entertainment as host of the TV show “Thicke Of The Night” (1983-1984). He was more Joey Bishop than Johnny Carson. He was also starred on the hugely popular ABC show “Growing Pains” (1985-1997).
He played dad Jason Seaver on the show, which launched the career of ’80s heartthrob Kirk Cameron and actress Tracey Gold. Thicke got his start in native Canada during the 1980s, doing a talk show up there called “The Alan Thicke Show.”
Robin is his son by the first of Alan’s three wives, Gloria Loring, who also gave birth to son Brennan Thicke.
Names in the News
Paul Giamatti, David Salidor, Rachel Allen, Linda Ferrando, Fran Curtis, James K. Kaufman, Mark Bego, David Batista, Steve Walter, Derek Storm, Billy Amendola, Tony Sachs, Micky & Donna Dolenz, Jacqueline Ruth, Barry Zelman, Brett Winterble, Chip.