Look up the word "cool" in any dictionary, and you'll see that it has a lot of different meanings. In my book, artists like Bob Marley, the Beatles and Prince are the very definition of the word "cool." Well, add to that list the name Robin Thicke. It's a bold statement, I know ... but then, so is Robin's new album.
It hits stores today, so we put the call in and got him to stop by MTV HQ on the eve of his big album launch. Something Else is definitely not what you would call ordinary. It's not cookie-cutter R&B, it doesn't have a whole load of big-name collaborations (only one ... yes, Lil Wayne on "Tie My Hands"), and it's undoubtedly the album that Robin always wanted to make. You see, that's something that's very important to Thicke. He's an artist who holds his own musical integrity in the highest regard. Simply put, Thicke would rather busk on the street all his life than put out an album that he had no creative control over.
We chopped it up about his new album; the lead single, "Magic" (and why it wasn't his first choice); collaborating with his lovely wife, Paula Patton (who starred in "Mirrors" with Kiefer Sutherland and "Déjà Vu" opposite the legend that is Denzel Washington); and of course, my new favorite song right now, the excellent "Dreamworld." This album might be his best yet. Trust me — go buy it, call over your "special friend" and press play. By the fifth track, it's pretty clear: A lot of babies are going to be made to this album.
We'll have much more from this interview in the coming days.