Okay, so we all know, after years of success on the R&B side, Robin Thicke finally broke out into the mainstream this past summer and possibly had the biggest Pop song of the year with "Blurred Lines". I was waiting to see what the follow-up single, "Give It To You" was going to do. Hasn't done much. It climbed to #7 on the R&B side but only peaked at #25 on the Pop side.

This kinda takes me back to 1984. After years of success on the R&B side, Teena Marie finally snagged a huge Pop hit with "Lovergirl". But, despite having further R&B success and making records that were more crossover-friendly, she wasn't able to follow it up with any significant success on Pop radio.

I kinda see Robin going down that same path, like Teena, not truly being able to hold the attention of Pop music fans because his music is considered too urban. Anyone else see Robin going down this path? Is all the hoopla over?

Isn't "urban" mainstream these days?

aint no way he close to being on the level of Teena Marie

1.) Teena Marie was a real musician, made her own music, and had one of the most amazing voices ever, and was as authentic as they come, and did not resort to sexual exploits to sell records

2.) Robin Thicke has been hijacking music since day one and his most successful song was a hijack of the legendary Marvin Gaye

not even close

I think Robin is over and for good reason. The song was incredibly overplayed... like it was on the levels of ''Yeah'' by Usher type of overplayed nonsense. but Usher by that time already had lots of hits, while Robin only had 1 somewhat pop hit.

Plus him and Paula actin a damn fool in all their interviews. And the whole Marvin Gaye fiasco too.

He sizzled out before he even got started.

Lady T done rolled-over-in her Grave....One of the reasons Robin Thicke is not the "Male" Teena Marie is because he has ZERO range. The ONLY White Female Soul Sista that Robin MIGHT be compared to is Lisa Stansfield. Lisa can really sing LIVE she just had weak material to work with through her career.

Who would be his Rick James in that case?

I really didn't understand why they did release "Give it to you", it's the weakest song on the album.

Secondly, i didn't understand why they didn't release a third song quickly after the saw the second single bombed.

and I din't get the video of "Give it to you", he looked lost in it, hardly moved.

back to the topic

robertlove said:

I really didn't understand why they did release "Give it to you", it's the weakest song on the album.

Secondly, i didn't understand why they didn't release a third song quickly after the saw the second single bombed.

and I din't get the video of "Give it to you", he looked lost in it, hardly moved.

back to the topic

Cuz that's the ONLY track he didn't steal from somebody else..LOL...I couldn't resist...

Chancellor said:

robertlove said:

I really didn't understand why they did release "Give it to you", it's the weakest song on the album.

Secondly, i didn't understand why they didn't release a third song quickly after the saw the second single bombed.

and I din't get the video of "Give it to you", he looked lost in it, hardly moved.

back to the topic

Cuz that's the ONLY track he didn't steal from somebody else..LOL...I couldn't resist...

Lady T could play.

I don't think Thicke plays any instruments, does he? Robin Thicke is more the male Brooke Hogan.

Chancellor said:

Lady T done rolled-over-in her Grave....One of the reasons Robin Thicke is not the "Male" Teena Marie is because he has ZERO range. The ONLY White Female Soul Sista that Robin MIGHT be compared to is Lisa Stansfield. Lisa can really sing LIVE she just had weak material to work with through her career.

Weak material has always sold multi- platinum records. Except for "The Moment", I thought all of Lisa's albums were incredible! Arista Records just kinda tossed her aside after her platinum-selling debut. Clive didn't want her taking away attention from Nippy. I mean, how is your second album going to receive a Gold certification in the U.S. (thanks to R&B radio play) and then the label decides to only release your third album in the U.K.? There were definately a lot of politics going on there.

Robin has done well on the R&B side but I thought most of his albums were pretty weak, especially when he was trying to be trendy and resorted to using rappers.

Robin Thicke is the perfect example for "Fame ruin you, your talent and your artistry".

I listened to his albums lately, his first EPs, he has done some great & nice R&B and soul music...

Now, you either see him surrounded by girls in a discusting way... singing BL or do anything else that has something to do with that... He has changed very much, he was soulful, deep and Mayer Hawthorne type o' kid, now he's turned into a grown Bieber - Not to mention the Marvin Gaye controversy.

To paraphrase the great Larry Holmes, Robin couldn't fit in Teena's panties.

When Robin does anything close to this, then we can talk.

Timmy84 said:

To paraphrase the great Larry Holmes, Robin couldn't fit in Teena's panties.

lrn36 said:

When Robin does anything close to this, then we can talk.

amen

Just so I'm clear, I'm in no way, shape or form comparing Teena and Robin musicially. That's an entirely different discussion and would also be a complete waste of time . My comparison is both of them being white R&B singers, virtually ignored by mainstream audiences for many years, finally getting a huge mainstream hit but not being able to maintain the momentum with Pop audiences.

[Edited 11/15/13 15:59pm]

I think Robin Thicke is easy on the eyes but seems a bit contrived, and I say this as a person who likes some of his songs from mid 2000s through today. He is never going to be like Teena Marie. I think the reason that people had/have so much for TM is that she never seemed like she was trying to be something that she wasn't. There's a lot to be said about the irony of how easily some white singers who mirror themselves after black artists are more easily accepted than vice versa HOWEVER, the fact that you will probably never catch dudes in the hood blasting Justin Timberlake from their cars says a lot....but if you go to a family reunion or gathering of people and there's anyone there who has a thing for 80s music, you WILL hear TM being played.

I think people can recognize when someone is just along for the ride or just brilliant in their own right. TM was loved for a lot of reasons...

One thing that irks me about Robin Thicke is that seems like he wants to be soulful but there's something that's just missing from the whole equation. He should just go the John Mayer route and play black music while not letting go of his "inner white boy".....

kitbradley said:

Just so I'm clear, I'm in no way, shape or form comparing Teena and Robin musicially. That's an entirely different discussion and would also be a complete waste of time . My comparison is both of them being white R&B singers, virtually ignored by mainstream audiences for many years, finally getting a huge mainstream hit but not being able to maintain the momentum with Pop audiences.

[Edited 11/15/13 15:59pm]

Well, I think RnB is more pop now then it was in 70s or 80s. RnB artists had to water down their sound to crossover to pop audiences. Now RnB as a whole is so watered down its hard to define what it is anymore. I think Robin is going to have a hard time maintaining his success because of his age. He is well into his thirties and that is considered ancient in the pop world.

kitbradley said:

Just so I'm clear, I'm in no way, shape or form comparing Teena and Robin musicially. That's an entirely different discussion and would also be a complete waste of time . My comparison is both of them being white R&B singers, virtually ignored by mainstream audiences for many years, finally getting a huge mainstream hit but not being able to maintain the momentum with Pop audiences.

[Edited 11/15/13 15:59pm]

that's the thing about Teena Marie

she was never mainstream....she did not receive airplay on top 40 radio

she was authentic r&b, she was the embodiment of authenticity....that's even greater than the genre itself

lrn36 said:

kitbradley said:

Just so I'm clear, I'm in no way, shape or form comparing Teena and Robin musicially. That's an entirely different discussion and would also be a complete waste of time . My comparison is both of them being white R&B singers, virtually ignored by mainstream audiences for many years, finally getting a huge mainstream hit but not being able to maintain the momentum with Pop audiences.

[Edited 11/15/13 15:59pm]

Well, I think RnB is more pop now then it was in 70s or 80s. RnB artists had to water down their sound to crossover to pop audiences. Now RnB as a whole is so watered down its hard to define what it is anymore. I think Robin is going to have a hard time maintaining his success because of his age. He is well into his thirties and that is considered ancient in the pop world.

real r&b was pushed out over 2 decades ago.........

that has been replaced by formula driven brand

the pop ascension destroyed authenticity, it has proven to be so counterproductive, Robin Thicke can get away with hijacking someone's music then pretending he didn't

Scorp said:

kitbradley said:

Just so I'm clear, I'm in no way, shape or form comparing Teena and Robin musicially. That's an entirely different discussion and would also be a complete waste of time . My comparison is both of them being white R&B singers, virtually ignored by mainstream audiences for many years, finally getting a huge mainstream hit but not being able to maintain the momentum with Pop audiences.

[Edited 11/15/13 15:59pm]

that's the thing about Teena Marie

she was never mainstream....she did not receive airplay on top 40 radio

...you know, except for the huge crossover hit "Lovergirl," which was mentioned in the original post.

I have always thought Teena Marie was EXTRAORDINARILY overrated, but even I can see she had more talent in her pinky than Robin Thicke has in his entire body.

[Edited 11/15/13 19:18pm]

Robin can play guitar and keyboards,here is an example https://www.youtube.com/w...b2dE8sw6FM

novabrkr said:

Who would be his Rick James in that case?

very interesting question/discussion point.

maybe the question could have been "is Robin Thicke the new Michael Bolton?"

to me, this is the better comparison. Bolton has what s o m e (caucasian) people call a "soulful voice"..

but in the end, Bolton was just another - in the VERY LONG LINE OF - "white boys tryin' to sing 'black' "

back when he 1st became popular, Bolton had NO credibility or real respect (musically) from true/knowledgeable fans of soul/r&b music (aka "the black community").

understandably so.

it would have been "too much" for Bolton to be a "pop star" and important in the r&b genre too. neither his singing style or music would have allowed him to be big in r&b.

it's normal/predictable that Bolton would be a "blue-eyed soul pop star"

meanwhile - a REAL talented, genuinely soulful "blue eyed-soul singer" like MICHAEL MCDONALD would not do as well in the pop market: too often he (& his music) sounded "too black" for pop radio.

though not his fault - because Thicke has a famous/popular father/tv actor.. he could hardly have grown up in/with a typical "r&b sensibility".

what Thicke - & J.Timberlake & Bolton (before both of them) - has never understood is this:

just because you love r&b music AND you can sing..

it doesn't mean that you can (or will) make "authentic" r&b music that will be appreciated by the majority of its fans

(who do identify with and appreciate the "r&b aesthetic")..

[sidebar: I apologize for the LACK OF CLARITY in this post. I have been - & still am - drinking tonight..]

robertlove said:

I really didn't understand why they did release "Give it to you", it's the weakest song on the album.

Secondly, i didn't understand why they didn't release a third song quickly after the saw the second single bombed.

Come on,you know why they chose that song as the second single it features a red-hot rapper (Kendrick LaMar).Not to mention,they put 2Chainz on the remix.

The good news is that,they chose a good song to be the third single: "Feel Good".It has just been released.Like "Give It 2 U",this is also a club/dance track,but somehow it feels alot more authentic than the previous single.

if it were up to ME,I would have chosen "Ooh La La" as the second single.That's the best song on the album

jeidee said:

Lady T could play.

I don't think Thicke plays any instruments, does he? Robin Thicke is more the male Brooke Hogan.

He plays piano and keyboards.