There’s no denying that most of us love a song about an ex.
There’s no denying that most of us love a song about an ex. Almost every big artist from Beyoncé to Taylor Swift has had a proven success with a vicious rant about a broken relationship. So it’s a shame that Robin Thicke’s new album Paula – named after his ex wife of ten years – falls so short of expectation.
Even John Newman, who took to the Wireless stage in Finsbury Park on Sunday, managed to pull off several heart wrenching ballads including lines like,‘You are the one that’s cheating, but I would never cheat on you,’ amongst throwing himself on the stage in supposed grief.
But Thicke, who played at the festival’s Birmingham event on Saturday, seemed ashamed to try out any of the take-me-back anthems on his new album, instead sticking to old favourite “Blurred Lines.” A lack of new material disappointingly suggests Thicke has as little confidence in this album as everybody else.
Paula is one big, long apology to Paula Patton, Thicke’s high school sweetheart, who left him in February due to reports of his bad behaviour and misdemeanours with younger women. Photos of Thicke grinding with dancers and squeezing a woman’s bum back stage at the VMA’s go some way towards showing why Patton elected to leave him.
Thicke has been on a public campaign to win back his wife since they split, including giving long and public speeches at live gigs.
So cheesy they’re almost laughable
Sadly, this album doesn’t inspire any confidence that she’ll soon take him back. The album, with single titles like “Get Her Back” and “Love Can Grow Back” is too obvious to take seriously, and leaves listeners doubting whether Thicke is sincere about his claim to win Patton back. All the tracks are limp, with loose lyrics that are so cheesy they’re almost laughable, and don’t seem to hold any personal touches.
Honestly, there are no outstanding tracks on the album, although “Get Her Back” is worth listening to more than once, as it has the promise of becoming a popular ballad (although watching the video will be three minutes of your life that you’ll never get back). But on the whole, if you’re a fan of the hip swivelling, shade wearing, hand clapping Robin Thicke, this album won’t be for you.
Having said all that, it is difficult to criticise someone for apparently pouring their heart onto a CD. I am one of those with no time for all the criticisms of “Blurred Lines” and the supposed meanings behind it – don’t even try to deny that you know all the words to it – and I have no issues with Thicke as a person.
However, this album comes across as a little too self-centred, as though it’s for his own therapy, rather than for the sake of the lovely Paula Patton. There is a very minute chance that Paula might serve its purpose, but I’m sure she’d be taking him back out of pity.
My advice to Thicke would be to quickly move on from this record, and go back to making cheeky music videos that are bursting with sexiness and charisma.
What do you think of the pitiful pleas for Paula? Have your say in the comments below!
