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 criticized both videos,calling them misogynist and sexist.
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 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 Williams 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]
"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]
Critical reception
"Blurred Lines" was generally criticized heavily by music critics, who stated that it glorifies rape culture.[16]The Daily Beast's Tricia Romano described the track as "kind of rapey."[17] Callie Ahlgrim and Courteney Larocca of Insider commented in 2019 that "If you could cancel a song the way fans cancel artists, 'Blurred Lines' deserves to be that song." They continued, saying its "existence is a huge injustice to women everywhere."[18]Spin magazine's Keith Harris remarked that the song is "a consensual two-way flirtation, a game both players get to win, with Thicke desperately launching goofball compliments at a woman who paws at him and prances away."[19] Ann Powers for NPR declared that the verse: "I know you want it," objectifies women and condones rape.[20] Writing for The Independent, Mollie Goodfellow described Thicke as the "weaselly face of the rape anthem 'Blurred Lines'."[21]
Andy Hermann for The Village Voice stated that Thicke and Williams tried to ruin the summer of 2013 with their "smug turd of a pop tune" and deemed the song "terrible, tacky, [and] derivative."[22] Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield described "Blurred Lines" as "the worst song of this or any other year". He said he couldn't "remember the last time there was a hit song this ghastly – the sound of Adam Sandler taking a falsetto hate-whizz on Marvin Gaye's grave".[23]Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club said that the song's "old-man lecherousness and boys'-club friskiness . . . comes off as uncomfortable and demeaning."[24] Andy Kellman of AllMusic depicted "Blurred Lines" as a "marginalized genre of R&B".[25]Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune described the song's lyrics as "dunderheaded", while saying Thicke "scrapes bottom with his single-entendre come-on's."[26] Trevor Anderson of Billboard opined it is "less a recall of a celebrated classic hit, but more a cautionary tale that still divides critics, creatives and consumers alike".[27]
Some reviews, however, were more positive. Jim Farber, writing for New York Daily News, called the song "irresistible" and mentioned it had an "utter lack of pretense".[28] In her review for The Christian Science Monitor, Nekesa Mumbi Moody labeled the song as "undeniable", and wrote that it had become a "cultural flashpoint".[29] The staff of The New Zealand Herald lauded the track as "cool" and "inventive".[30]The Ledger's James C. McKinley Jr praised "Blurred Lines" as a "catchy come-on".[31] Brendon Veevers for Renowned for Sound remarked the track "really shows off Thicke's vocal dexterity as he bends and blends playfully within 4 minutes of seductive, sexually charged beats and hooks alongside fellow heavyweights T.I and hit-maker Pharrell".[32] The staff of Rolling Stone place it at number 50 on their 100 Best Songs of 2013, saying "thanks to its lascivious, Pharrell-spun hook, it held the whole world in its slightly skeevy grasp all summer long".[33]
"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 BillboardHot 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 BillboardHot 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 BillboardAdult 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 Williams' 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
Background and synopsis
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 version of "Blurred Lines" generated more than one million views in the days following its release on Vevo.[77] 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.[78] The video features Thicke, T.I., and Williams. It also includes three models: Emily Ratajkowski, Elle Evans, and Jessi M'Bengue.[79] The video features a "Robin Thicke Has a Big Dick" sign spelled out in silver Mylar balloons.[80] 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.[78][80]
Reception
Kat Bein of Miami New Times described the visual as "misogynist", and said that it "objectifi[ed] naked women".[81] 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".[82] Writing for Slate, Geeta Dayal called the video "loathsome".[83] Aidan Moffat for The Quietus labeled it is as "awful, sexist and asinine".[84]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".[85]
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.[86] Thicke told Digital Spy the critics needed "to come up with something more original" when calling it sexist.[87] In February 2021, Thicke said to the New York Post that he was never going to make a video like "Blurred Lines" ever again.[88]
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.[89] In an interview with InStyle in September 2015, Ratajkowski stated the video is "the bane of my existence".[90] 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]
Controversy and criticism
"Blurred Lines" was criticized upon release for trivializing sexual violence, objectifying women, and "reinforcing rape myths."[91] Katie Russell, a spokeswoman for Rape Crisis, a charity that raises awareness and understanding of sexual violence, said the lyrics glamorized violence against women and reinforced rape myths. They thought the lyrics and the video seemed to objectify and degrade women, using "misogynistic language and imagery that many people would find not only distasteful or offensive but also really quite old fashioned." They concluded, saying certain lyrics are "explicitly sexually violent and appear to reinforce victim-blaming rape myths."[91]
Williams initially defended "Blurred Lines." The singer told NPR there was nothing misogynistic about it, and that he was grateful to everybody that supported the song.[97] Further defending the song, Williams mentioned to Pitchfork that there was nothing controversial about the song and appreciated how "Blurred Lines" helped Thicke "to a place where he deserves to be vocally."[98] In October 2019, Williams told GQ he "didn't get it" because he thought women enjoyed the song and connected to its "energetic spirit."[99] The singer later stated, "we live in a chauvinist culture in our country. Hadn't realized that. Didn't realize that some of my songs catered to that."[100][101]
Accusations of sexual harassment
On October 3, 2021, Ratajkowski published an excerpt from her memoir My Body in the British newspaper The Sunday Times, in which she recounts that she was sexually harassed by Thicke during filming of the music video for "Blurred Lines":[102]
"Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt the coolness and foreignness of a stranger's hands cupping my bare breasts from behind, [...] I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke. He smiled a goofy grin and stumbled backward, his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses. My head turned to the darkness beyond the set. [The director, Diane Martel's] voice cracked as she yelled out to me, 'Are you okay?' "
The video director Diane Martel supported Ratajkowski by stating that she yelled at the singer asking for an explanation and immediately shutting down the shoot, getting a sheepish apology from Thicke, as if he knew it was wrong without understanding how it might have felt for Emily.[103]
In August 2013, Thicke, Williams, and T.I. sued Marvin Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music for a declaratory judgment that "Blurred Lines" did not infringe copyrights of the defendants. Gaye's family accused the song's authors of copying the "feel" and "sound" of "Got to Give It Up".[104] In the lawsuit, Gaye's family was accused of making an invalid copyright claim since only expressions, not individual ideas can be protected.[105] In September 2014, The Hollywood Reporter released files relating to a deposition from the case.[106] Within the deposition Thicke stated that he was inebriated on Vicodin and alcohol when he showed up to record the song in the studio, and that Williams had the beat and wrote the vast majority of the song.[107] Within Williams' respective deposition file, the producer noted that he was "in the driver's seat" during the song's creation and agreed that Thicke, in past interviews, "embellished" his contributions to the songwriting process.[106][108]
On October 30, 2014, United States District Court for the Central District of California Judge John A. Kronstadt ruled the Gaye family's lawsuit against Thicke and Williams could proceed, stating the plaintiffs "have made a sufficient showing that elements of 'Blurred Lines' may be substantially similar to protected, original elements of 'Got to Give It Up'." The trial was set to begin on February 10, 2015.[109] Williams and Thicke filed a successful motion in limine to prevent a recording of "Got to Give it Up" from being played during the trial.[110] The motion was granted because the family's copyright covered the sheet music and not necessarily other musical elements from Gaye's recording of the song.[110] On March 10, 2015, a jury found Thicke and Williams, but not T.I., liable for copyright infringement.[111] The unanimous jury awarded Gaye's family US$7.4 million in damages for copyright infringement and credited Marvin Gaye as a songwriter for "Blurred Lines".[3][112][113] In July 2015, the judge rejected a new trial and the verdict was lowered from US$7.4 million to US$5.3 million.[114]
In August 2016, Thicke, Williams, and T.I. appealed the judgment to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.[115][116] A few days later, more than 200 musicians – including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, John Oates of Hall & Oates, R. Kelly, Hans Zimmer, Jennifer Hudson as well as members of Train, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Black Crowes, Fall Out Boy, the Go-Go's and Tears for Fears – filed an amicus curiae brief, authored by attorney Ed McPherson, in support of the appeal, stating that "the verdict in this case threatens to punish songwriters for creating new music that is inspired by prior works."[117] In December 2018, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's finding of infringement against Williams and Thicke.[118] Both singers still had to pay Gaye's family US$5.3 million.[119] Thicke was also ordered to pay more than US$1.7 million and Williams and his publishing company had to pay US$357,631 in separate awards to Gaye's estate.[120] In December 2019, Gaye's family opened the lawsuit back up again, accusing Williams of lying under oath during the trial.[121][122] The plaintiffs cited a GQ interview from November of that same year in which Williams said he "reverse engineered" "Got to Give It Up",[123] saying that it countered his statement during a deposition that he "did not go in the studio with the intention of making anything feel like, or to sound like, Marvin Gaye."[124] In February 2021, Kronstadt ruled that Williams did not commit perjury, saying: "The statements by Williams during the November 2019 Interview were cryptic and amenable to multiple interpretations."[124][125]
Live performances
On May 14, 2013, Thicke performed the song for the first time live on NBC's The Voice alongside Williams and T.I.[126][127] Thicke also performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 16 with Pharrell and three models doing backup.[128] In June 2013, Thicke performed the song alongside Williams with American actress Hayden Panettiere dancing to the song on the British television chat showThe Graham Norton Show.[129] Thicke, Williams, and T.I. performed the song on the 2013 BET Awards on June 30, 2013. They performed against a backdrop of Thicke's name in giant red block letters.[130] Thicke also performed the track solo on BBC Radio 1Live Lounge on July 8, 2013,[131] as well as This Morning on July 10, 2013.[132]
Thicke also performed the song complete with dancers in studio on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM Radio on July 29, 2013.[133] He also performed the song on The Colbert Report on August 6, 2013, after French duo Daft Punk canceled.[134][135] On September 20, he performed "Blurred Lines" at the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival.[136][137] On November 10, Thicke performed the song with Iggy Azalea at the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards.[138] In December, he performed the song at Jingle Ball 2013 concerts.[139][140] In May 2014, Williams performed the song as part of a medley at the iHeartRadio Awards where he received the iHeartRadio Innovator Award.[141] In May 2017, Thicke performed the song at the 4th Indonesian Choice Awards.[142]
MTV Video Music Awards
Thicke performed "Blurred Lines" as a duet with American singer Miley Cyrus at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, medleyed with Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" and "Give It 2 U", featuring 2 Chainz.[143] The performance began with Cyrus performing "We Can't Stop" in bear-themed attire.[144] Following this, Thicke entered the stage and Cyrus stripped down to a small skin-colored two-piece outfit.[144] Cyrus subsequently touched Thicke's crotch area with a giant foam finger and twerked against his crotch.[145] The performance drew extensive reactions and became the most tweeted about event in history, with Twitter users generating 360,000 tweets about the event per minute; breaking the previous record held by Beyoncé's Super Bowl XLVII halftime show performance six months earlier.[146][147]
Critics universally panned the performance. Shirley Halperin for The Hollywood Reporter described the performance as "crass" and "reminiscent of a bad acid trip".[148] Writing for the American news program Today, Anna Chan called the performance "embarrassingly raunchy",[149] while Katy Kroll of Rolling Stone labeled it a "hot mess".[150] The performance was described by XXL critic B. J. Steiner as a "trainwreck in the classic sense of the word as the audience reaction seemed to be a mix of confusion, dismay and horror in a cocktail of embarrassment".[151] Louisa Peacock and Isabelle Kerr of Telegraph described Cyrus' actions as her going into "overdrive [...] trying to kill off her Disney millstone, Hannah Montana.[152] In July 2017, Cyrus said she felt sexualized while twerking during the performance.[153]
Parodies
On the June 12, 2013, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in which Thicke and Pharrell were both guests, they aired a parody version of the "Blurred Lines" video in which host Jimmy Kimmel and his sidekick Guillermo attempt to join Thicke, Pharrell, and the dancers but keep getting rebuffed.[154]
On August 2, 2013, Bart Baker released a parody of "Blurred Lines" on his YouTube channel.[155]
On September 11, 2013, the drag queen group DWV (Detox, Willam Belli, and Vicky Vox), released a parody called "Blurred Bynes". The song is about Amanda Bynes and her behavior in the previous months.[156]
On September 17, 2013, a parody music video featuring then-AKB48 members Yuko Oshima and Haruna Kojima was released on YouTube as a collaboration between Thicke and AKB48 to promote the song in Japan.[157]
On November 5, 2013, Dave Callan, as part of his review of Just Dance 2014 on the ABC show Good Game performed a parody of the music video in response to the incorrect choreography of the song in the game.[158][159]
On December 19, 2013, the Canadian sketch comedy group Royal Canadian Air Farce released a parody of the music video called "Rob Ford's Blurred Lines", highlighting the recent admissions by Toronto mayor Rob Ford of public drunkenness and using crack cocaine.[160]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, often known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American singer, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo the Neptunes, which he formed with Chad Hugo in 1992. 15 of their productions have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, which includes four songs that peaked atop the chart. The two also formed the alternative band N.E.R.D. with drummer Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams served as lead vocalist. He has been regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern popular music.
"Got to Give It Up" is a song by American music artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart as a response to a request from Gaye's record label that he perform disco music, it was released in March 1977.
Robin Alan Thicke is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 single "Blurred Lines", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, it received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
The discography of Pharrell Williams, an American musician and record producer, consists of two studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), three mixtapes, 30 singles.
The discography of American singer Robin Thicke consists of 8 studio albums, 30 singles and 23 music videos. Thicke signed his first recording contract with Interscope Records as a teenager and found success as a songwriter, before he began concentrating on his career as a performer. In 2000, Thicke started recording his debut album, A Beautiful World, which was released in April 2003. The album debuted at number 152 on the US Billboard 200, selling 119,000 copies. The record also peaked at number 36 on the Mega Album Top 100 in the Netherlands. Two singles were released from the album; the first, "When I Get You Alone" became a top ten hit in the Netherlands and New Zealand. That single also peaked at number 17 in Australia and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In 2006, Thicke released his second studio album The Evolution of Robin Thicke. The record debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200, topped it on the Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and became a certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album also charted in France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The Evolution of Robin Thicke produced four singles, all of which charted on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. "Lost Without U" became one of his biggest hits, peaking at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spending 11 weeks atop the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
The airplay music charts in South Africa were gathered and published by the company Entertainment Monitoring Africa (EMA), formerly known as Mediaguide South Africa. It is a member of the Times Media Group, under Entertainment Logistics Services (ELS). The company provides a weekly top 10 airplay chart, which is available for viewing by the general public online. A top 100 is available for subscribed users of the company's website.
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of Manhattan. Nominations were announced on July 17, 2013. Leading the nominees were Justin Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with six, followed by Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, and Robin Thicke with four. Pop singer Justin Timberlake was the big winner on the night with four awards, including Video of the Year for "Mirrors" and the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift were also among the winners of the night. The ceremony drew a total of 10.1 million viewers.
"Get Lucky" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams and American guitarist Nile Rodgers. Daft Punk released the song as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album, Random Access Memories, on 19 April 2013. Before its release as a single, it was featured in television advertisements broadcast during Saturday Night Live, after which Rodgers and Williams announced their involvement in the track. "Get Lucky" is a house-inspired disco, funk, and pop track with lyrics that, according to Williams, are about the good fortune of connecting with someone, as well as sexual chemistry. Upon release, it received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised Williams's vocals and Rodgers's guitar riffs.
Blurred Lines is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke. It was first released in Germany on July 12, 2013, and released in the United States on July 30, 2013, by Star Trak Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from T.I., Pharrell, Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz. will.i.am also features as a guest writer on the track "Give It 2 U" and also serves as a producer on the tracks "Feel Good" and "Go Stupid 4 U".
"LoveHate Thing" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Wale featuring vocals from Roc Nation singer Sam Dew. It was co-written by both artists, along with Antonio Palmer and Mint Condition's Stokley Williams, who also co-produced the song with Dew and Tone P. It was released on May 21, 2013 as the second single from his third studio album The Gifted (2013).
"Give It 2 U" is a song by American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke from his sixth studio album, Blurred Lines (2013). It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, with additional writing by Thicke, the featured artist Kendrick Lamar, and will.i.am. Originally titled "Give It to Me", a demo version of the song premiered on the radio show Sway in the Morning on May 2, 2013. Featuring guest vocals from Lamar, it was released as the third single from the album on August 27, 2013. "Give It 2 U" is an uptempo hip hop and electropop song with elements of dubstep. Lyrically, Thicke sings about sexually pleasing a partner.
"Happy" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, released as the only single from the soundtrack album for the film Despicable Me 2 (2013). The song was first released on July 2, 2013 with the soundtrack, and it was released as a single on November 21, 2013, alongside a long-form music video. The song was reissued on December 16, 2013, by Back Lot Music under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music. The song also served as the lead single from Williams's second studio album, Girl (2014). An official remix features American rapper Sky Blu of LMFAO.
"Can't Rely on You" is a song by English singer Paloma Faith, written by Faith and American singer and producer Pharrell Williams. The single, available for purchase from 23 February 2014, serves as the lead single from her third studio album, A Perfect Contradiction, which was released in early March.
"Come Get It Bae" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, with guest vocals from Miley Cyrus, from the former's second studio album Girl (2014). "Come Get It Bae" was released on March 6, 2014, through Columbia Records as the third single from the album.
"Word Crimes" is a song by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic from his fourteenth studio album, Mandatory Fun (2014). The song is a parody of the 2013 single "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I. The song spoofs misuse of proper English grammar and usage, reflecting Yankovic's own rigor for proper syntax and semantics. Yankovic chose a topic that would be distinct from those used in many pre-existing parodies, and that would avoid the misogyny issues that had arisen from the source material.
Pharrell Williams et al. v Bridgeport Music et al., No. 15-56880 is a United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit case concerning copyright infringement of sound recording. In August 2013, Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke and Clifford Joseph Harris filed a complaint for declaratory relief against the members of Marvin Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that the song "Blurred Lines" did not infringe the copyright of defendants in "Got to Give It Up" and "Sexy Ways" respectively.
↑ Raustiala, Kal; Jon Sprigman, Christopher (March 12, 2016). "Squelching Creativity". Slate. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
↑ "ロビン・シックがAKB48とコラボ、大島優子と小嶋陽菜がパロディービデオ出演"[Robin Thicke collaborates with AKB48, Yuko Oshima and Haruna Kojima appear in parody music video]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). September 17, 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 25. týden 2013 in the date selector.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 24. týden 2014 in the date selector. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
"GAON DOWNLOAD CHART – 2013년 7월". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
