By Jocelyn Vena. After this many ups and downs, it’s hard not to have perspective on it,’ singer tells MTV News about recent, long-awaited success. Robin Thicke went into the summer with an instant smash on his hands thanks to his buzzed-about single and video for “Blurred Lines.” Now he’s ready for people to hear the other tracks he’s cooked up for the July 30 album release of the same name, even if he’s feeling some last-minute anxiety about sharing it with the world. “One minute I’m very excited, the next I’m terribly nervous. Anytime you release your music or you put something out there that you care very deeply about, you know, you’re always a little scared,” he told MTV News.
“But for the most part, I’m always excited to give people my new music.” This album is an eclectic array of funky R&B and groovy dance tracks slathered with Thicke’s silky-smooth persona. He worked with A-listers like Timbaland, will.i.am, Pharrell, T.I., Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz on his follow-up to 2011’s Love After War. Despite some slightly naughty lyrics, some of which reference his bedroom prowess, he insists nothing on there should be too shocking to anyone — not even his dad, “Growing Pains” star Alan Thicke, who crafted the tune “Ain’t No Hat 4 That” with his son.
“Well, I don’t think there’s as much unexpected [stuff] as it is the different styles of music that I always try to represent. I never try to be just one thing, or do one thing. I always try to mix up all different styles of music,” he said. “And so I think sometimes people get surprised, like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t sound like that last song.’ Well, this doesn’t sound like the next song. So I think it’s the good, and bad, that you can get something very fresh and never know what’s coming next on my albums.” Thicke is dropping the album as the three-times-platinum “Blurred Lines” continues to sizzle. It’s charted at #1 not only on Billboard’s all-encompassing Hot 100 chart, but also on the Pop Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Thicke, however, has an interesting way of looking at the overwhelming and massive success of the track, which comes six albums into his career. “It’s so hard ’cause I’ve been making music for so long and people say, ‘How does it feel?’ and I’m like, ‘It feels great.’ But, you know, I guess after you’ve had this many ups and downs, it’s hard not to have perspective on it,” he said. “I always try and remind my fellow peers [that] if you sell 10 million records that means 300 million people didn’t buy it, so a little perspective is in order.”
Next up, Thicke is set to shoot the video for “Give It 2 U,” featuring Kendrick and 2 Chainz. It’s being directed by “Blurred Lines” auteur Diane Martel in the coming weeks. He’s also up for three Moonmen at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. He’ll be competing for Video Of The Year, Best Male Video and Best Collaboration. The show will take place on August 25, live from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.