Robin Thicke

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Robin Thicke was born in 1977 in Los Angeles. His mother is the actress and singer Gloria Loring, his father was the actor Alan Thicke. His parents also wrote television theme music. Robin wrote songs of his own at an early age and formed a vocal group while still young. A demo, paid for by the jazz singer Al Jarreau, ended up with the R&B singer Brian McKnight, who helped him find work as a writer and producer. At seventeen he was living on his own and making a living by writing and producing for others, including Brandy, Color Me Badd, Brownstone and Christina Aguilera.

Music and breakthrough

As an artist he signed with Interscope, but his 2002 debut A Beautiful World was not a commercial success. In 2005 he joined Pharrell Williams's label Star Trak for The Evolution of Robin Thicke. Next came Something Else in 2008, with the hit Magic, Sex Therapy: The Session in 2009 and Love After War in 2011. His style is blue-eyed soul: R&B with a smooth, soft falsetto voice.

Influence

His biggest hit came in 2013 with Blurred Lines, with T.I. and Pharrell Williams. The song received Grammy nominations and topped the American chart. The album of the same name reached number one in the United States and the United Kingdom. Since 2019 he has also been a panellist on the television programme The Masked Singer.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2003A Beautiful World
• 2006The Evolution of Robin Thicke
• 2008Something Else
• 2009Sex Therapy: The Experience
• 2011Love After War
• 2013Blurred Lines
• 2014Paula
• 2021On Earth, and in Heaven