When some people have a good year, they have a really good year. That’s the case for singer Robin Thicke, who had one of the biggest hits of this or any recent year we can think of with “Blurred Lines.” Whether it was the naked uncut version of the video (the models were topless, not Robin) or the catchy chorus, the songs propelled Thicke into a place he’s never been – to the pop charts. He jokes “Even white people are liking me now.”
Not only is he hot on the charts, his overall profile has ramped up with his controversial appearance on the MTV Video Awards where Miley Cyrus did her part to make twerking reach critical mass. Oh, and his wife, Paula Patton, who starred in the rom-com “Baggage Claim” says yeah, he’s not just bragging on a song – “thicke” is an apt description of what he’s working with.
When asked by the Tom Joyner Morning Show if he can ever top “Blurred Lines,” Thicke told them, “If I don’t, I’ll still be OK.”
Yes, it’s good to be Robin Thicke these days. But he’s hardly an overnight success. The 37-year-old singer/songwriter was once struggling to make a name for himself and when he did, it was as a soul singer. His first ever single “When I Get You Alone” was a modest hit in 2002, but hardly the breakthrough the young artist wanted. But the second single from his second album, 2005′s “The Evolution of Robin Thicke” proved to be the right record.
“Lost Without You” with its video starring Patton was Thicke’s breakout hit, establishing him as a blue-eyed soul artist and setting up his popularity among Black audiences. He embraced the support but says this go-round he thought he might have a shot at the pop charts.
“I had a good feeling because I haven’t made many crossover records to pop radio, so I did have a feeling it had a chance to do well on pop radio. But you can never imagine this type of success.”
Controversy over producer Pharell Williams paying “tribute” to Marvin Gaye’s classic “Got to Give It Up” and subsequent lawsuit in the works haven’t dimmed the song’s popularity. A now famous MTV Awards show appearance with former Disney star Miley Cyrus upped Thicke’s public profile all the way to an appearance on “Oprah’s Next Chapter” where Thicke laughed off the critics.
“We knew what we were getting ourselves into,” he told the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “It’s the MTV Awards, it’s the place where Madonna humped a stage dressed like a virgin. This is the place to do the craziest things possible. We knew what we were getting into. We had a great time.”
“We all knew what we were doing and it was all based in fun. The way guys are – the way guys can make fun of each other and still be best friends afterwards, that’s just how we were. I really loved doing the first season. Kevin is one of my best buddies but “Blurred Lines” was starting to take off and I can’t even be there. It was a great opportunity and we had a great time but my time has passed.”
