Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Robin Thicke- Blurred Lines Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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