Robin Thicke makes a nice comeback with “Forever Mine.” He doesn’t necessarily move the needle, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Let’s keep it 100 – post-Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke has been on the struggle bus. Focusing merely on his music career (though there’s more), his follow-up to his highly successful 2013 album, Paula, was an epic fail – a flop of all flops. The thing is, Thicke is quite talented, and has a marvelous voice. He showcases his musical gifts on “Forever Mine,” a single that plays to his strengths and hopefully begins a successful comeback.
“Forever Mine” plays to Thicke’s strengths because it embraces an old-school R&B sound. Robin being an artist in the blue-eyed soul / neo-soul vein, this lush, laidback backdrop – produced alongside Pro Jay – just feels right. The palette of instruments is comprised of warm guitar, jazzy keyboard lines, robust bass, strings, and horns. Again, very old-fashioned and old-school, yet, even if it is something of an anachronism, that’s not a bad thing.
What really drives “Forever Mine” are the chill, floating, and refined vocals by Robin Thicke. Again, I must emphasize the fact that Thicke truly can sing. His falsetto in particular is incredibly potent. Throughout this love-oriented, his approach is characterized by the utmost finesse. Robin never underwhelms, nor does he get too high, as he expresses his dedication. Lyrically, Thicke certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but over the course of three-minutes-plus, he successfully conveys his point:
“Forever mine Before each other Dance like no other Once in a lifetime, ooh Can’t let a love like this pass you by.”
Final Thoughts
All in all, Robin Thicke makes a nice comeback with “Forever Mine.” Is it enough to change the downturn his career has experienced post-Blurred Lines? I definitely wouldn’t go that far, but, Thicke does have the type of record that he excels at, and that is certainly worth noting. Won’t change the game, but a step in the right direction for Robin.
Robin Thicke • “Forever Mine” • Robin Thicke Music / EMPIRE • Release: 5.27.20
Photo Credits: Robin Thicke Music / EMPIRE