Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

On the 2^nd edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. 

Bring on the controversy, won’t you? Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 2^nd edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Blurred Lines” by 🎙 Robin Thicke. 

“Everybody get up / Everybody get up / Hey, hey, hey / Hey, hey, hey!” Back in 2013, everybody and his brother and sister were tuned into “Blurred Lines,” the crowning achievement from 💿 Blurred Lines, the biggest album of Robin Thicke’s career. Thicke had experienced success over the years, but definitely none like he earned with this dominant no. 1 hit and its parent album.  With longtime collaborator 🎙 Pharrell Williams co-writing and producing, and ATL rapper 🎙 T.I. on board, “Blurred Lines” is that pop song that most artists would kill for.  It’s catchy as hell, groovy as hell, and incredibly ear catching AF.  But the rewards of “Blurred Lines” probably didn’t pay off for Thicke, if I’m being totally honest.  “Blurred Lines” is chocked-full of controversy, in numerous ways.

The Lyrics 🎼✍

“You’re a good girl / Can’t let it get past me / You’re far from plastic (Alright) / Talkin’ ‘bout getting blasted.” Hmm, “Talkin’ ‘bout getting blasted,” huh? Focusing merely on the song, the lyrics are definitely problematic.  Misogyny and objectification of women are no strangers to music, but if you read or listen to the lyrics served up here, there’s honestly no redeeming value whatsoever.  While “Blurred Lines” could fly in 2013, can you imagine the hell that Thicke would pay if it were a new song the second half of the 10s, let alone the 20s?

Thicke was accused of promoting a ‘rapy vibe’ with “Blurred Lines,” as the embedded article suggests, he really didn’t help himself when interviewing and promoting the song.  While he’s trying to unleash a wild side that he knows she possesses – “liberate” her as he asserts on the pre-chorus – it just doesn’t come off that way.  Even if unintentionally so, Thicke seems too forceful, thinking way more with his pants than brain. I mean, he’s going to benefit from the act…  “I feel so lucky (Hey, hey, hey) / You wanna hug me (Hey, hey, hey),” he sings on the second verse, continuing, “What rhymes with hug me?”  Nice one Rob… 😏.   I won’t even break down the T.I. verse.

The Music Video 🎶📼

Besides the lyrics, another controversy involving “Blurred Lines” is the music video 🎶📼.  This is a gargantuan YIKES 🤦!  Two versions were released, including the unrated version which naturally amplifies the S-E-X.  Anytime something is unrated, you can expect additional nudity, which is what we get here (Hey – I remember those unrated 🎦 American Pie movies over the years 😏).  In other words, yes, there are boobies.  Thicke had to have hot models (including Emily Ratajkowski) to help him illustrate his points, right? Furthermore, there’s includes a sign commenting on his penis size (“Robin Thicke has a big dick”) 🤦.  UGH – WTF man? That definitely doesn’t stifle any controversy and naturally, adds fuel to the fire of the song being ‘rapy.’  Moving on!

Copyright Infringement

The lyrics of “Blurred Lines” are problematic – ☑ check.  The accompanying music video, especially the unrated version, is distasteful – ☑ check.  These two things, by my estimations, are the most controversial aspects of the song.  That said, the costliest happening for Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams was a copyright infringement lawsuit by the Gaye family, which the Gaye family came out victorious in.  Keeping it simple, there are similarities in the sound of the 🎙 Marvin Gaye classic, 🎵 “Got to Give It Up” and “Blurred Lines.”  While I would personally argue they’re not the same song, I can hear the similarities, particularly the rhythmic, percussive groove and even the minimalist harmonic progression.  That said, ‘inspiration’ in pop music happens all the time.  There is a slew of ‘new’ songs that arrive that sound incredibly similar to songs of the past.  In some cases, it requires a writing credit just to be safe.  The lesson with “Blurred Lines” is, even if unintentional, that writing credit likely would’ve saved some coin in the long run.

Final Thoughts 💭

“Blurred Lines” is the biggest hit of Robin Thicke’s career, but it also cost him a lot.  The money is one thing, but after a successful single and album cycle, things just seemed to fall apart for the blue-eyed soul musician.  His following album, 💿Paula, was not only horrible, but it was also a flop and followed a divorce from his wife, Paula Patton.  Since Blurred Lines, Thicke has yet to really rehabilitate his career which is unfortunate – he is talented.  Still, the risk of “Blurred Lines” only seemed to yield a temporary reward for the 🏆 Grammy-nominated musician.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 11 Songs Centered Around Lines

🎙 Robin Thicke • 💿 Blurred Lines • 🏷 Star Trak • 🗓 2013

Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 2 [📷: Aidan Feddersen on Unsplash, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Star Trak]