A look back at Robin Thicke’s exciting musical career
Photo by: Getty Images for iHeartMediaRobin Thicke is known and loved for his time on The Masked Singer, but what was his career like before the talent series? Here’s a look at his music career, lawsuits, and more.
Robin Thicke was born in 1977 to actress/singer Gloria Loring and actor Alan Thicke. Apparently Thicke started writing music with his dad. Although his father helped him learn song structure, he did not fund a professional demo tape for Robin’s vocal group. Although his parents may seem daunting, Thicke explained that they wanted him to graduate before pursuing a career in music.
The demo tape was eventually funded by one of the members’ uncle, Al Jarreau. R&B singer Brian McKnight was so impressed with Thicke’s vocals that he became one of Thicke’s early mentors. Eventually, the singer introduced him to Jimmy Iovine, who landed his first recording contract with Interscope Records.
At the age of 17, Thicke left his parents’ home. The high school student earned and supported himself as a professional record producer and songwriter. Apparently, her parents were suspicious of the decision at the time. This singer first made a name for himself as a songwriter and producer of music for other artists. He wrote for artists like Brandy, 3T, Jordan Knight, Christina Aguilera, etc.
Robin Thicke releases his first album
The singer released his debut single “When I Get You Alone” in 2002, which samples “A Fifth of Beethoven” (a disco version of Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony”). This song became a hit when it peaked in the Top 20 in Australia, Belgium and Italy. It also reached the Top 10 singles chart in New Zealand and the Top 3 in the Netherlands.
The following year, Thicke released A beautiful world, which debuted at number 152 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Even though the second track from this album was relatively successful, the album itself suffered from a lack of promotion. After A beautiful world, Thicke finds himself at an impasse with his record company. Apparently, the label lost confidence in its ability to sell music in the genre.
The singer then signed with Star Trek Records for his second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The songs on this album achieved faster success than his debut album. During this time, he released his first hit, “Lost Without U”. The singer released his third album, Something elsein 2008. Seven months after the album’s release, Thicke was to release another in 2009.
At the end of 2009, Thicke released his album Sex therapyfollowed by Love after the war in 2011. Thicke found immediate success in the R&B/hip hop genres with these releases. Meanwhile, Thicke vowed to show more of her hip hop side.
The arrival of “blurred lines”, the controversy behind
On March 26, 2013, Thicke released her single “Blurred Lines”. Not only was the song a hit, but the music video featuring Emily Ratajkowski, Jessi M’Bengue and Elle Evans was viewed over a million times in one day. The song has won numerous Billboard Music Awards and Soul Train Music Awards.
Blurred Lines quickly came under fire for being misogynistic and promoting rape culture. Critics called the song’s lyrics “scary” and “violent”. Shortly after the single’s release, singer Marvin Gaye’s heirs sued Thicke and Williams, claiming the song was a plagiarism of Gaye’s tune “Got To Give it Up”. Gaye’s received $7.4 million, but the amount was reduced to $5.3 million with royalties. In October 2021, Ratajkowski revealed in her book that Thicke allegedly fondled her breasts without consent. The singer has not publicly responded to the allegations.
After “Blurred Lines”, Thicke released another album, then faded from the public eye. In 2016, he joined the cast of Hollywood’s Real Husbands, revealing his personal and professional issues, including his divorce, his lawsuit, his drug use and his poorly received album. He started as a panelist on The Masked Singer in 2019.
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