Music Monday: ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke

It has been awhile since this Brand New Jones hit our radar with that hit of his back in his 2003 debut, A Beautiful World, with his suave moves and sensual vocals. Whilst we may have breezed through the Noughties with four more studio album from Robin Thicke, it is only recently that he has come back on the wavelength, buzzing with his new album Blurred Lines, and the titled debut single with a NSFW music video to boot.

Yet, at the same time, unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything “brand new” from this American/Canadian singer/songwriter in his sixth studio album. It feels more like Thicke is playing catch up with this album, rather than offering the music scene something fresh and “in trend” with the times.

Granted, it is a good album to have spinning on your stereo when you are hosting an intimate house party, with songs like Blurred Lines, Ooo La La and Get in the Way, giving the album an overall feather light beat that is addictive at the same time.

But sometimes, that is the problem: “just an album spinning at a house party” – at the background, and nobody paying attention to it. What is done in Blurred Lines, probably has been done to death by artistes in the Hip Hop, Funk and Soul genres. Having produced this album with the likes of Pharrell Williams, will.i.am and Timbaland, you are hearing like-minded rhythms from these individual producers peppered throughout Thicke’s latest one. At times, past Usher and Justin Timberlake’s works cast looming shadows in the background of Take It Easy on Me and Ain’t No Hat for That, whom have at some point of their careers, collaborated with these producers before.

When Thicke decides to slow things down for numbers like Feel Good, 4 The Rest of My Life and The Good Life, it may emulate aphrodisiac vibes for some, but for others, it is as grimacing as a man walking up to you with pick-up lines like, “Did it hurt when you fell out of Heaven?” And when Thicke tries to “get with the program”, and try something that is currently “hip” in the industry, it instead backfired with the annoying and brash Eurotrash beats from Give it 2 U.

Robin Thicke may have entered the music industry all suave and sophisticated, but lines are still blurred as to where he is going with this album. It’s as if he still thinks he is the ‘IT’ man, who would have girls floored and craving for more, when actually, he has been off the dating scene for so long, things have changed and his old moves just don’t work anymore. I mean, is he trying out the whole “old is new” tactic? Because if he is, I believe that he has failed miserably. But if not, somebody has got to tell this Jones that time has indeed moved on. He should explore some new music styles, and maybe tidy up his lyrics writing that may come off as cheesy and sleazy for some.

But if you don’t mind an old-fashioned man, who approaches you in the most traditional way, then Blurred Lines can be the perfect on replay in his stereo, as he leads you to a missionary style love-making.

W: RobinThicke.com
T: @RobinThicke

Tags: Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke