Album- Blurred Lines
Artist- Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke definitely had a good year for 2013 in many respects,
scoring a worldwide number 1 hit with his song Blurred Lines and finally just
becoming a name that many people instantly recognise. Yet in many ways Thicke’s
year wasn’t great, with his songs lyrics being labelled as sexist, whilst he
also had to contend with the aftermath of his musical performance with Miley
Cyrus. But is his album Blurred Lines actually a good record, and should people
maybe pay more attention to the artistry behind this album instead of that one
song and some controversy?
Track 1- Blurred
Lines (featuring T.I. and Pharrell)
The records opening track and title track was the song of
the summer for 2013, being a worldwide hit that a lot of people seemed to love.
The song itself is a funky slice of RnB and disco that finds Thicke and guest
artists Pharrell and T.I. seemingly having fun, as they sing and rap of hating
these blurred lines and wanting to get with this girl. The lyrics are sharp and
catchy whilst Thicke exudes this charisma with his smooth vocal, whilst T.I.
provides a snappy rap for the middle section that is equally catchy. Pharrell
does a nice job with the production with his blend of tinny percussion and
funky disco beats, creating an immediately attention grabbing quality to the
sound and giving you a song that you can very easily start dancing to. The
undeniably edgy quality of the song is there and it is a bit of an
uncomfortable listen as the element of sexism can be found, so for me this is
just one of those songs where if you enjoy it then fair enough, if you don’t
enjoy it then fair enough as well.
3.5/5
Track 2- Take It Easy
On Me
Mega producer Timbaland comes on board for Take It Easy On
Me, another funky soul pop number which also blends a bit more of an electronic
vibe within the production. The lyrical composition of the song is simple as
Thicke asks this girl to take it easy on him, whilst he also exclaims of how he
wants this girl. The repetitive chorus is quite catchy but vocally the song is
strange as at times it feels like the presence of Thicke is completely
irrelevant. Timbaland provides an interesting blend of military like drum beats
and bubbly electronic notes for this quite club ready sound, but whilst this is
an interesting sound, it also feels like too familiar a style from Timbaland,
whilst it also just feels like Thicke is being made into this sub-par version
of Justin Timberlake (a frequent Timbaland collaborator).
2.5/5
Track 3- Ooo La La
Ooo La La drives us more into a very disco influenced sound,
and from the beginning the track sounds like an old school classic. The song
lyrically focuses on Thicke telling us of how this girl has this something and
how he can’t get over her. What makes the song really catchy is not the lyrics
themselves but Thicke’s delivery of the verses, as he really utilises his
falsetto to make the song feel very charismatic and almost romantic. The bright
disco beats with the finger snapping rhythm creates this intensely vibrant
sound that immediately feels like something you have to dance to, and this
would probably work well as a single for people to just lose themselves to and
dance along to in clubs.
3.5/5
Track 4- Ain’t No Hat
4 That
After the weird child opening line of the title, this song
quickly dissolves into another fast paced slice of funky soul pop. Here we find
Thicke singing of this girl who has this temperament but who is interesting,
and whilst the repetition of ain’t no hat for that is slightly annoying, it
just seems like Thicke is saying this girl can’t be categorised. The song once
again finds Thicke really using his falsetto to great effect, whilst the singer
also provides some great ad libs for this track, and at this point you
definitely get the full sense of Thicke being influenced by artists of the
disco era. The frenzied style of the production with the blasts of horns just
creates this slick groove to the song that is fun and keeps this more
interesting dance vibe of the record firmly going.
3.5/5
Track 5- Get in My
Way
Whilst the disco essence of the production for Get in My Way
may feel very familiar, the sound is still different enough as the hand
clapping beats and more prominent use of horns creates a different style of
funky disco, and when the production is as slick as this, Thicke can definitely
just indulge himself and the listener in this funky dance world. The song finds
Thicke singing of how nobody is going to get in his way and how he is just
going to get what he wants, with the song just being a simple lyrical affair
fuelled by positivity. The layering of the singer’s voice works really well for
the songs vocal composition, with Thicke just coming across as a passionate and
fun loving guy through his vocal performance.
3.5/5
Track 6- Give It 2 U
(featuring Kendrick Lamar)
Things are changed up for the album with Give It 2 U, a song
that has more of an electronic based sound and which feels designed to be
played in clubs. Within the track Thicke tries to present himself as a charming
man whilst telling this girl of how she is so fine and how he wants to just
give it to her. The song is very much just an ego based slice of sexually laden
synth pop that is uncomfortable to listen to, and it definitely just feels like
Thicke views women in a sexist light. Producer Dr Luke provides us with a bland
blend of punchy synths and a grinding bassline, and although Kendrick Lamar
does provide a slick hip hop rap, the song overall just feels like a boring
piece where Thicke was just desperate for a radio hit.
2/5
Track 7- Feel Good
The first of two tracks on the album that were co-written
and produced by Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, Feel Good changes things
within the album again, as we are treated to less of a shiny synth heavy club
song and more of a bass heavy, hard hitting, dance beats driven song that is
interesting in the way that it continually fluctuates in the intensity of the
sound. The songs finds Thicke asking this girl if it feels good as he has
stated that he is going to give her all his love. The element of egotism and
sexism is still slightly present, but overall the lyrical composition is nice
with a good pop hook, and will.i.am definitely does a good job with the blend
of piano and dance rhythms within the production, creating this quite intense
dance sound that doesn’t feel boring. Thicke also once again utilises his
falsetto well and comes off as slightly more believable in his charisma this
time around, although by the end his repetition of ‘does it feel good?’ is just
plain boring.
3/5
Track 8- Go Stupid 4
U
Will.i.am’s second track for the record starts off really
weirdly with this guitar instrumentation, but whilst this weird, acoustic
essence of the song remains throughout, the song does quickly evolve into an
electronic tinged, funky soul number that nicely combines a typical club sound
with more funky disco vibes. Once again the singer uses his vocals well in
terms of his use of falsetto, creating a charismatic tone to the track that
works well with the lyrical message. However, the actual lyrical content of the
song is clichéd and boring, as Thicke just tells this girl of how he thinks she
is sexy, and he goes stupid for her. It is another message that seems to be
tinged with egotism, and the song lacks any form of a good hook to grab your
attention.
2/5
Track 9- 4 the Rest
of My Life
Thicke finally slows things down with 4 the Rest of My Life,
a laid back RnB track that finds the singer telling this girl of his feelings
and how she has made him feel so good, so he will love her for the rest of his
life. Once again Thicke edges into clichéd territory with his lyrics and makes
this bold statement of love that is so annoying in its unoriginality. However
the simplicity of the chorus makes for a nice listen, and with the laidback,
clicking beats of the production, the song has this smooth feel, with the
production elevating the singers’ falsetto led vocal to new levels of
intensity.
3/5
Track 10- Top of the
World
Top of the World takes things back to more of an upbeat,
funky soul vibe, with the song focusing on Thicke telling of this girl who has
worked her way up in life and who is singing of how she is on top of the world.
The song is cool in terms of the narrative led style of the lyrics, and for
once the singer can be seen to really be in this state of utter positivity.
However, in this case the falsetto led vocal is a little awkward, as it feels
as if Thicke is trying to flirt with this girl he is describing, whilst the
vocal just creates this essence of this girl as a sexual being rather than a
human. The songs positivity also becomes too repetitive by the end, and whilst
the more acoustic styled RnB/soul production is good, the singer’s use of a
rap/sing style is really bad.
3/5
Track 11- The Good
Life
Final track The Good Life is a forceful soul pop number that
will most likely be an encore moment for the singer. Here Thicke sings of how
life takes us up and down, but we all work hard and we will get to the good
life, with the singer telling us of how he has made with his girl by his side.
It is a sweet way to end the record that shows Thicke isn’t all that bad, and
the song is nice in the way that the singer uses the full range of his voice
rather than just relying on his falsetto. The mix of guitar and drums within
the production also creates a classic soul sound for the track that makes this
a nice, uplifting end for the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
The whole of Blurred Lines indeed presents Robin Thicke as a
controversial figure, as sometimes he is charming, but at other times he is
just so egotistical. The album works much better when the singer is rooted in a
classic, old school funk and disco sound, with this type of sound working well
with his smooth vocals and creating a much more interesting listen compared to
some of the club ready songs. The lyrics are catchy with some songs but
terribly clichéd with others, and really this album is just a work of two
halves that seriously differ in quality.
4.5/10
Best Track- Ooo La La
Worst Track- Give It
2 U (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
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