Blurred Lines
"Blurred Lines" is a song by American singer Robin Thicke featuring fellow American musicians T.I. and Pharrell Williams from Thicke's sixth studio album, Blurred Lines (2013). Solely produced by Williams, it was released as the album's lead single in 2013, through Star Trak Recordings and Interscope Records. For the lyrics, Thicke said the song is about his then-wife Paula Patton. Musically, "Blurred Lines" is an R&B and pop track with instrumentation consisting of bass guitar, drums, and percussion.
This article is about the Robin Thicke song. For his album and tour, see Blurred Lines (album) and Blurred Lines Tour. For other works, see Blurred Lines (disambiguation). For the blurring of lines, see Blur and Blurred."Blurred Lines"
"Blurred Lines" spent 12 consecutive weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the longest-running single of 2013 in the United States. In June 2018, the song was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with sales of 14.8 million, simultaneously breaking the record for the largest radio audience in history. The song was nominated for awards, including Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. The song received generally negative reviews from music critics, with some saying it glorified rape culture. Commercially, the song topped the charts of 25 countries and reached the top five of six others.
The music video for "Blurred Lines" was directed by Diane Martel. Two versions of the video exist: edited and unrated. In both of them, Thicke, T.I., and Williams are featured with models Emily Ratajkowski, Elle Evans, and Jessi M'Bengue performing several activities, including the models snuggling in bed with Thicke and sitting on a stuffed dog. After being on the site for just under one week, the unrated version, featuring topless models, was removed from YouTube for violating the site's terms of service. The unrated video has since been restored to YouTube. Many critics panned both videos, calling them misogynist and sexist.
To promote the song, Thicke performed on televised live events including the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and a highly controversial performance with American singer Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. The song became the subject of a legal dispute with the family of American singer Marvin Gaye and Bridgeport Music, who argued the song infringed on copyrights to Gaye's 1977 single "Got to Give It Up". Williams and Thicke were found liable for copyright infringement by a federal jury in March 2015, and Gaye was awarded posthumous songwriting credit based on the royalties pledged to his estate.
Background and production[edit]
American singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams co-wrote "Blurred Lines" during a three-day writing session in July 2012.[4][5] Williams first started to play a funk rhythm with syncopated cowbell accents on the drums, along with a simple two-chord progression. It became the spine of the track. Thicke improvised a melody and wrote lyrics about seducing another man's girlfriend. Within an hour and a half, both singers had the song recorded and completed. Thicke and Williams wanted to get a rapper from the Southern part of the United States to be part of the song. They ended up choosing American rapper T.I.[6] T.I. would add a rap verse to the song several months later.[5]
In an interview with GQ's Stelios Phili, Thicke explained that he and Williams were in the studio together when he told Williams that one of his favorite songs of all time was Marvin Gaye's 1977 single "Got to Give It Up". Thicke wanted to make a song similar to "Got to Give It Up". Thicke stated that he and Wiliams would go back and forth and sing lines like, "Hey, hey, hey!".[6] Thicke told the Daily Star the song was "mostly throwaway fun", but said it was inspired by him and Williams being in love with their wives, having kids, and loving their mothers. He commented that both of them have a lot of respect for women.[7] An ad was created for Radio Shack to market the Beats Pill, a small stereo, that showed Thicke, Pharrell, and the models repeating the look of the (clothed) music video, but with the models holding up the Beats Pill.[8]
Music and lyrics[edit]
"Blurred Lines" has been described as a funk-inspired pop and R&B track.[1][9] Its instrumentation consists of bass guitar, drums, and percussion.[10] According to Emily Bootle of New Statesman, the song is light-hearted in nature and its musical humor is evident in the "bouncing bassline, tongue-in cheek background yelps, the comically low pitch of the refrain 'I know you want it' and the laughter that follows the lyric 'What rhymes with 'hug me'?'."[9]
Lyrically, "Blurred Lines" is about a woman Thicke is trying to pick up in a club.[11] "The song is a come on", wrote Ken Tucker in a review of the song and its parent album for NPR.[12] Tucker noted that what prevents the song from descending into creepiness is that Thicke remains "gentlemanly and debonair" when the object of his desire rejects him.
Other interpretations of the song's lyrical content were unfavorable. Elizabeth Plank of Mic considered the lyrics offensive, particularly Thicke repeatedly singing 'I know you want it' while T.I. raps: 'I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two."[13] Sezin Koehler of Pacific Standard said the lyrics suggest that "women are supposed to enjoy pain during sex or that pain is part of sex" and went on to find in the lyrics other parallels to the act of rape."[14]
Thicke told Howard Stern during an interview on The Howard Stern Show that "Blurred Lines" was inspired by his then-wife Paula Patton. He confessed to Stern: "My wife is Mrs. Good Girl, but gradually over our marriage, I've turned her into a bad girl."[15]
Release and commercial performance[edit]
"Blurred Lines" was released as the lead single on March 26, 2013, from Thicke's studio album of the same name (2013), through Star Trak Recordings and Interscope Records.[46] It was released to Contemporary hit radio on May 21, 2013.[47] It was released as a single with a remix by Filipino music producer Laidback Luke in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2013.[48] A remix featuring Colombian singer J Balvin was released on July 23, 2013, in Colombia.[49] A no rap version of the track was released alongside Laidback Luke's remix and both music videos.[50] An EP featuring remixes by Laidback Luke, Australian producer Will Sparks, and American producer DallasK was made for the single.[51] Another EP for was released for "Blurred Lines". The EP also features the Laidback Luke remix, "When I Get You Alone", "Lost Without U", "Magic", and "Sex Therapy".[52]
"Blurred Lines" debuted at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[53] After the song's unrated version of the video was released, the song rose from number 54 to number 11.[54] The track rose from number 11 to number 6, giving Thicke his first top 10 hit in the US.[55] The song would later rise from number six to number one in June 2013, giving T.I. his fourth, Pharrell his third, and Thicke's first number one hit in the US.[56] "Blurred Lines" topped the Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks, making it the longest running single of 2013.[57][58] Billboard named "Blurred Lines" the song of the summer in September 2013.[59] On the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the song reigned at number one for 16 weeks, making it one longest tracks to stay at number one on the chart.[60] In June 2018, The single was certified a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting track-equivalent sales of 10,000,000 units in the US based on sales and streams.[61]
The song also peaked at number one on the Billboard Adult Top 40,[62] Mainstream Top 40,[63] and Rhythmic charts.[64] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, selling 190,000 copies in its first week.[65] The remained at number one the following week, selling even more than it did in its first with 200,000 copies sold.[66] It spent five non-consecutive weeks at number one.[67] "Blurred Lines" was confirmed to have sold 1 million copies on its 50th day of release, becoming William's second song in only a month to achieve that feat in Britain after being featured on Daft Punk single "Get Lucky".[68] According to the Official Charts Company, the single became Britain's best-selling single of 2013 with sales of 1,472,681 copies.[69] It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with sales of 14.8 million,[70] simultaneously breaking the record for the largest radio audience in history.[71]
Music video[edit]
Background and synopsis[edit]
A music video for "Blurred Lines" was directed by Diane Martel and was released on March 20, 2013,[72] while an unrated version was released on March 28, 2013.[73] After being on the site for just under one week, the unrated version of the video was removed from YouTube on March 30, 2013, citing violations of the site's terms of service that restricts the uploading of videos containing nudity, particularly if used in a sexual context.[74][75] However, it was later restored on July 12, 2013.[76] The unrated video remains available on Vevo, while the edited version is available on both Vevo and YouTube.[77][78][79] The unrated version of "Blurred Lines" generated more than one million views in the days following its release on Vevo.[80] Thicke told GQ they wanted to do "old men dances" and imitate how they were in the studio. They tried to do everything that was prohibited by social custom. He stated they did bestiality, drug injections, and things that are derogatory towards women. When it came to the balloon arrangement, Thicke said it was Martel's idea. They wanted to "go over the top" and be as witless as possible.[6]
In an interview with Grantland, Martel stated that Thicke wanted her to make a white cyc video for "Blurred Lines". She heard the song and instantly fell in love with it. She sat and thought about the ideas for what the models could wear in the video. She realized they could wear shoes, and that it would get attention for the song and the artist. Martel said the hashtags were pretty obvious idea because she thought Robin's last name is strong and supposed it had subconscious connotations. Martel asked an art director named Georgia Walker to find "gross" and "oversized" props like a hose and stuffed dog. Martel said she wanted to deal with the "misogynist, funny lyrics in a way where the girls were going to overpower the men". She came up with the idea of a nude video but turned down the job after Thicke and his team refused. They came back later agreeing to do the nude video if Martel would do a clothed version.[81] The video features Thicke, T.I., and Williams. It also includes three models: Emily Ratajkowski, Elle Evans, and Jessi M'Bengue.[82] The video features a "Robin Thicke Has a Big Dick" sign spelled out in silver Mylar balloons.[83] The visual sees the topless models snuggling in bed with Thicke, meowing seductively at the camera, with one the models riding the stuffed dog while sticking her tongue out.[81][83]
Reception[edit]
Kat Bein of Miami New Times described the visual as "misogynist", and said that it "objectifi[ed] naked women".[84] Bertie Brandes of Vice said the video is "a masterpiece of idiocy and the level of stupidity and arrogance required in order for a video this banal, offensive and unimaginative is almost impressive". She continues, saying "except, it's not impressive at all, is it? It's ugly sexist uninspired bullshit dressed up as naughtiness, and it's creepy".[85] Writing for Slate, Geeta Dayal called the video "loathsome".[86] Aidan Moffat for The Quietus labeled it is as "awful, sexist and asinine".[87] The Cut's Ann Friedman mentions that her issue was not the naked women and it being inappropriate. She opined it "featuring naked models and clothed men in party mode is boring, uninventive, and slightly alienating".[88]
Thicke responded to the negative criticism of the video. He said that the video of him dancing around with the naked models should only be controversial to "extra-religious people", and stated it was Martel's idea and actually preferred the clothed version and didn't even want to use the naked version until his wife and her friends said he should put out that video.[89] Thicke told Digital Spy the critics needed "to come up with something more original" when calling it sexist.[90] In February 2021, Thicke said to the New York Post that he was never going to make a video like "Blurred Lines" ever again.[91]
Ratajkowski at first defended the video, saying she didn't think it was sexist and was made with a "sarcastic attitude". She said that they were "being playful" and having a good time with their body. The model thought it was important for young women to have that confidence, and that it is actually celebrating women and their bodies.[92] In an interview with InStyle in September 2015, Ratajkowski stated the video is "the bane of my existence".[93] The visual was nominated for Video of the Year and Best Male Video at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.[41] It was also nominated for Best Video at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.[42]
Credits and personnel adapted from Blurred Lines album liner notes.[165]