Robin Charles Thicke (born March 10, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a … Read Full Bio ↴Robin Charles Thicke (born March 10, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Grammy-winning American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, producer, and actor signed to Pharrell Williams' Star Trak label. Also known for being the son of performer Alan Thicke, he released his debut album, called 'A Beautiful World', in 2003. He has gone on to release 2006's 'The Evolution of Robin Thicke', 2008's 'Something Else', 2009's 'Sex Therapy', 2011's 'Love After War', 2013's 'Blurred Lines', and 2014's 'Paula'. He was married to actress Paula Patton until their 2014 divorce, and they have a son named Julian Fuego, born in April 2010.

Alan Thicke married actress Gloria Loring, known for starring in programs such as 'Days of Our Lives', in 1970, and he had the two sons Brennan Thicke and Robin Thicke. Half-brother Carter Thicke would become another member of the clan years later after Alan Thicke divorced and remarried. Brother Robin grew up in a household filled with music, with his dad being a singer (of tracks such as "Thicke of the Night") as well as a co-composer for several TV show theme songs and a seminal actor on both the big and small screens (examples being the shows 'Growing Pains' and 'How I Met Your Mother').

The young Robin Thicke taught himself to play piano at the age of twelve. Even at the age of fourteen, he found that he could play just about anything that he heard on the radio, feeling a drive to keep going further. Before his days as a singer-songwriter performing his own material,Robin Thicke wrote songs for the soul and pop groups 3T (with 1995's "Sexual Attention" bringing Thicke alongside Damon Thomas), Brownstone (with 1997's "Around You"), and Color Me Badd (an example being 1996's "Sexual Capacity"). He also collaborated with the acclaimed production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on several songs for Jordan Knight's 1999 self-titled album. Thicke seemed to receive a great omen when Knight's album was certified Gold and gained huge fan acclaim.

In 2000, Thicke went to work on material for his debut album, which ended up being titled 'A Beautiful World'. The album focused more on blue-eyed soul than his pop-centered offerings for other artists, and he mixed in influences from eclectic funk (in the vein of the British group Jamiroquai) and and modern neo-soul music (in the vain of Canadian crooner Remy Shand). Thicke hoped that he was primed for huge things by late 2002 when the album became ready for release.

Thicke's lead single, called "When I Get You Alone", had a distinctive music video made for it. The disco and slick rnb fueled track sounded rather unlike the commercial pop ethos of the time, having a distinctive sampling of Walter Murphy's 70s dance music hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" (which itself had been inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony). The video featured an unshaven Thicke, with long, grungy hair, as a courier racing through the streets of Manhattan on a bicycle. It received some rotation on MTV 2 and BET's "Rated Next", the song being spun moderately on urban radio. On the Hot 100, it reached #29 quite quickly, yet it fell out the chart just as fast. Globally, however, the song was quite popular. With his single peaking at #17 in Australia, #15 in Belgium, #15 in Italy, #8 in New Zealand, and #5 in the Netherlands, Thicke felt that he wanted another shot at the 'big time' in the U.S.

Devising the re-release of this album, which it then gaining its final title of 'A Beautiful World', Thicke added a few extra songs that he seemed confident of. Yet the album received very little corporate promotion, irritating Thicke despite the release of a second single, a Prince-like groove mixing funk with rock called "Brand New Jones". The album debuted at #152 in the Billboard 200 and didn't do much from there, selling a mere 59,000 copies. Still, his work ended up being received well by many critics and musical peers, with Trevor Nelson and Lil' Wayne (Weezy's 2005 release 'Tha Carter, Vol. 2' would even include some of Thicke's work) lauding Thicke's music, as well as many fans.

In 2004, artist Pharrell Williams asked Jimmy Iovine, CEO of Interscope, “What are you doing with Robin Thicke?” A few months later, Robin was recording a new single, titled “Wanna Love You Girl” with Pharrell in Miami, as a newly signed artist on Pharrell’s label, Star Trak Records. With the two musicians sharing the same love for genre-hopping, deliberately 'retro' music, the single immediately attracted the attention of radio and club DJs across the world after its August 2005 release. The song often given revamped names such as "Wanna Love U Girl", "Wanna Love You Girl (Feat. Pharrell)", and the like, it ended up doing very well in the U.K. in particular, hitting #5 on Trevor Nelson's BBC Radio 1 "Soul Nation" chart.

Now appealing more to the mainstream, Thicke cut off his trademark long hair in an attempt to further recreate himself. By October 2006, when his second album, titled 'The Evolution of Robin Thicke', came out in its entirely, he had built up a ton of momentum, and his work paid off. Thicke earned the #1 slot on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and additional singles such as "Got 2 Be Down" and "Lost Without U" saw huge fan responses. As the months went by, his album even earned platinum certification by the RIAA.

Having 'made it' in the truest sense commercially as well as critically, Thick remarked, "My greatest desire with this album was to write songs that were completely honest and sing them with the emotion I was feeling when I wrote them, so that whoever listens to my music is brought as close to my experiences and life as possible."

With this intention, Robin created songs such as, “Lost without You” (the second single). An instant classic, this song is about Robin’s insecurities and his need to be desired and loved. With sweeping vocals over rhythmic Spanish guitar, this song takes you away and makes you sing along.

On the psychedelic, “High School Man” is where Robin infuses rock and hip-hop and poetically admits “I’m a hater” as he hates on those with more success than him realizing, ironically, he just wants what they have.

Finishing off The Evolution of Robin Thicke is the hopeful and encouraging “Thank You.” On this gospel inspired, piano ballad Robin sings, “maybe I’m the one who never gets up ‘till he falls,” making the discovery that he has to be thankful for everything that comes into his life…the tears, the joy, the failures and the successes.

Always carrying a heavy heart, Robin taught himself to play piano at the age of twelve so he could have an outlet to express himself. By the age of fourteen, he could play anything he heard on the radio. At sixteen, with no formal training, Robin began professionally writing and producing music for recording artists like Brandy and Brian McKnight. Over the years he has amassed dozens of gold and platinum records with artists including Usher, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson and Christina Aguilera.

Reflective, redemptive, passionate and etched with a soulfulness that is undeniable, The Evolution of Robin Thicke is an imaginative and heart-felt album that you cannot help but be moved by, bob your head to and smile throughout.

The album was released on October 3rd, 2006 and includes songs with Lil Wayne and Faith Evans, as well as Pharrell. The song "Got 2 Be Down" featuring Faith Evans was recently leaked (June '06). There will be two to three more videos released before the album comes out. Lately, there was a Busta Rhymes remix video shot for "Wanna Love You Girl," a Lil’ Wayne feat Robin Thicke "Shooter" video, and Robin has released the video for "Lost Without You," making that song the official 2nd single of the album.

Hard On My Love
Robin Thicke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus: x4]
She's so hard on my love

Her name was Jessica
I met her in the bathroom
It was on it was off it was good it was bad, yea
I took her to the movie
Had a little popcorn

And I guess when I looked at her shirt, just cause

[Chorus: x4]
She's so hard on my love

All you got do to is
Lay with me, baby stay with me, baby.
All you got to do is
Lay me with me, baby stay with me, baby

Six months later
Ain't nothin' new going on here
I ain't kiss on no lips
Since the last time you heard from me

[Repeat: x4]
You're so hard on my love

All you got do to is
Lay with me, baby stay with me, baby.
All you got to do is
Lay me with me, baby stay with me, baby

Oh!

I don't wanna lose you
But I don't wanna get lost
It'd be easy to see eye to eye
If you'd come down off of your high horse

All you got do to is
Lay with me, baby stay with me, baby.
All you got to do is
Lay me with me, baby stay with me, baby

Oh!

[Repeat: x4]
She's so hard on my love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Robin Thicke's "Hard on My Love" express the ups and downs of a tumultuous relationship. The singer, who goes by an unknown name, tells the story of a woman named Jessica whom he met in a bathroom. Most likely, the couple quickly grew attached to one another and began dating. In the end, the relationship appears to be unstable, with the woman being "hard on [his] love." The singer describes feeling frustrated with the dynamic of his relationship and wishing that his partner would let her guard down and relax a little.

The song appears to be a reflection on the artist's own experiences with romantic relationships. Through the lyrics, the artist seems to acknowledge that love is not always easy, and that even the best relationships can have their ups and downs. However, one of the key messages of the song is that love is ultimately worth the struggle, and that the rewards of a successful relationship are worth fighting for.

Overall, Robin Thicke's "Hard on My Love" is a beautiful ballad that speaks to the complexities of modern-day romance. The song's themes of love, heartbreak, and perseverance make it a powerful reminder that even the toughest times can be overcome with enough effort and commitment.

Line by Line Meaning

Her name was Jessica
The woman in question is called Jessica

I met her in the bathroom
I first encountered her in the bathroom

It was on it was off it was good it was bad, yea
Our relationship was inconsistent, sometimes enjoyable and other times not

I took her to the movie
I went to see a film with her

Had a little popcorn
We shared a snack of popcorn

And I guess when I looked at her shirt, just cause
For some reason, I was drawn to look at something on her shirt

She's so hard on my love
The woman is critical and unsupportive of my love for her

All you got do to is
The solution to our problems is simple

Lay with me, baby stay with me, baby.
We need to spend more time together intimately, and you should commit to staying with me

Six months later
Half a year has passed

Ain't nothin' new going on here
Our situation hasn't changed