Reviewed by: Tiara Shae
It is finally July 1st. A host of highly anticipated albums have been released this Tuesday, one of them being Robin Thicke’s “Paula” which is dedicated to Mr. Thicke’s wife. The two have been “separated” for quite some time now and this album is a public gift for his deeply missed wife, Paula Patton.
The album begins very subtle, romantic, and seductive. A whispering Robin sings “You’re My Fantasy” over a smooth Spanish band. The song should jog the memories of veteran Thicke fans who have listened to “A Beautiful World” and “Something Else”. The track sounds like a slow motion version of “Vengas Conmingo” and a little like his underground song “Loverman”. Following the introductory track, the album stays slow and romantic with tracks like “Still Madly Crazy” and the albums leading single “Get Her Back”.
The album starts to pick up the pace with “Lock the Door”. Robin brings in a soft choir and some 70s Billy Wither flare for this soulful track. The romantic ballads disappear for a while and the album turns into a European fashion show after-party with “Whatever I Want” and transitions into a vintage New York jazz club with tracks like “Living in New York” and “Tippy Toes”. The album ends like it started, with a romantic ballad for Paula called “Forever Love”.
The album has a lot of sounds going on. It consists of mostly nostalgic creations that must have been influenced by older hits. Every song that plays has different eras that are being channeled which could represent the eras of Robin and Paula’s relationship.
Robin Thicke has never been afraid to switch his style up musically. With this album, it seems as if he tapped into every version of Robin that has been introduced to the world, from long-hair Thicke from “A Beautiful World”, smooth romantic love song-singer from “The Evolution of Robin Thicke”, to the recent quirky pop album “Blurred Lines”.
The album is a very interesting gift for Paula. It wasn’t entirely what I expected. I figured he would strongly focus on ballads and R&B tunes. The album is definitely one to grow on.
For a limited time, you can listen to the album on USA Today (or Spotify).
What are your thoughts on “Paula”?
Connect with the writer: Instagram – @TiaraShae | Twitter – @TiaraShaeH
