Five Minutes With...Robin Thicke

Ever since 2006’s The Evolution of Robin Thicke, Robin Thicke has been a mainstay in urban music. Not since the legendary Teena Marie has a white artist garnered so much appeal from black audiences like soul crooner Thicke.

His hit song “Lost Without You” was the first time a white male artist had a number one single on the Billboard R&B charts since George Michael in 1988. Thicke was the opening act for Beyoncé 2007’s U.S. tour and received a Best R&B/Soul Album nomination at the 2007 Soul Train Music Awards.

Now Thicke is back with his third studio album, Something Else. The first single, “Magic”, was on fire on radio stations across the nation, and channels the likes of early Michael Jackson and 70’s-era Stevie Wonder. The album, which is in stores now, is a new side of Thicke. “The voice stays soulful but the music takes a lot of chances, “ Thicke says. “There's some Jimi Hendrix, there's a lot of Curtis [Mayfield], there's disco, some Earth, Wind & Fire.”

In a one-on-one, Thicke talked exclusively with VIBE.com about the new album, his urban appeal, and Barack Obama.

The new album is called Something Else, how will this album differ from The Evolution of Robin Thicke?
Well, it's really more about what's going in the world with all these recessions, oil, and war issues. It's time for something else; it's for a new way of thought. Hope and change—some Barack Obama!

Some Barack Obama—I hear that!
I have a joke, when you play the album backwards it says, "Vote for Barack Obama!" [Laughs] The album is not political, it's just the spirit of what Barack is talking about is a lot of the spirit of the album, positivity, celebration.

On the last album you had songs with Lil' Wayne, Faith, and Pharrell. Are there collaborations on this album?
Just Lil’ Wayne. Outside of that, it’s just me and my producers. I collaborated with the chord and string players, some of the old Michael Jackson Off the Wall and Thriller records—that was really the only collab! [Laughs]

There hasn’t been a white artist with this much appeal to black audiences since Teena Marie. Why do you think you appeal so much to black audiences?
I met Teena Marie at a birthday party and she was the sweetest person. When things like this happen, it has to be organic. I've loved soul music, gospel music, Jodeci, N.W.A —my whole life. I just do the music and it pours out of me; it just is what it is.

Do you find yourself relating more to black people?
I relate to all people in different ways. I think because I have a black wife and just being with her… the neighborhood I grew up, the school that I went to. I have so many friends of different races. As much as I don't see it, I also have seen it so much that I know what it is. You know what I mean? I don't know it personally, but I've seen it enough to know that it's out there and it's not a lie or a joke.

Have you experienced outright racism for being in an interracial marriage?
There is racism everywhere; it can happen at any corner or any city. There was a great book written years ago by a very intelligent man who said that right now America's cities are being decided on more racial preferences than they are economic and people don't know even know that. It just happens to be the truth that people are sticking together, helping each other because it's been like that forever. It still is and there's a guy like Barack Obama who can show up, maybe help all of that stuff and make us all work together a little bit more.

You play instruments, you sing live. What's your reaction to the artists out there, who don't sing live—who are more of a product?
They are entertainers. There are people who are about precision and entertainment; there are people who are about emoting and expressing. Sometimes they are people who do both, but I think there is room for everybody. I want to watch Rihanna sing her songs—I don't care! [Laughs] I want to watch and I want to listen. She ain't got to sound like Mary J. all the time. Who does? The point is as media and critics you want to say that shouldn't be out there, but as fans you want more music, you want more options. As a fan, I should be promoting all music coming out so I get a choice of what I want to buy. [x]

I'm loving his album Something Else. While I don't think it's a better album (yet) than The Evolution Of Robin Thicke, it's definitely up there in terms of quality. His second single, Sweetest Love, is probably my favorite Robin Thicke song to date.

Just for the hell of it, here's the video for Magic. I'm waiting (desperately) for his new video which should be out sometime this month.