Robin Thicke talks about making "Something Else"

Robin Thicke's recent conversation in Billboard touched on some hot topics: racism; his struggle to shake the shadow of his parents, actors Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring, and find his own place in the pop world; and the ever-problematic category of "blue-eyed soul." I also had a chance to chat with Thicke not long ago, and when we connected, he talked mostly about music. Which is sensible, because "Something Else," Thicke's third album (out Sept. 30 on Star Trak/Interscope) presents his musical vision more coherently and cohesively than anything else he's done.

Here's what Thicke had to say about the sound and creative soul expressed on "Something Else."

-- Ann Powers

AP: The new album is more assertive, to my ears, than anything else you've done. Tell me about the motivation behind it.

RT:  After coming off the road for so long, we really wanted the new album to be entertaining as much as soulful. I was trying to find some good grooves and bring back the sounds of Michael Jackson, Gamble and Huff, Motown....

AP: What does Michael Jackson's music mean to you?

RT:  When I was 7, he was the biggest singer in the world. No one had done what he had done before. I was just inspired by his music and his dance moves, and then I went over to Prince, and after that I got into rap and gospel music and R&B.

AP: On some of the best tracks from "Something Else" -- I'm thinking of the first single ("Magic") and "Sidestep," which is like a Temptations song -- you get away from the falsetto that made "Lost Without You" such a big hit in 2007. How do you decide to use that voice, versus your higher range?

RT:  I sing how I'm feeling, you know? In "Sidestep," I'm calling out a little stronger than I do sitting in the corner, singing to myself. We were in the studio, and I set up the band thinking about the Beatles in "Sgt. Pepper" days -- there were different drums and percussion, we were trading instruments and having the time of our lives. That song was one take with the band.

Some of the songs on the album came straight out of jam sessions. I've been working with my musical director, Larry Cox, for eight years, and we produced it together. I'm always looking for the best idea. I just hate to get caught in a rut.

AP: Your lyrics are very subtle, I think. Who are your role models as a lyricist?

RT: Obviously, John Lennon and Bob Dylan. And then when it comes to sexual nature, Prince. "Teach U a Lesson" from the last album, that's Prince. Then also, Marvin Gaye, because he was so honest all the time. So vulnerable, but he was also always being a man.

AP: I love the subtlety in your music.

RT: Subtlety can be the opposite of urgency, which in the music business can be death. But when I think of it, I think of Johnny Cash or Bob Marley -- people who quietly gave their best over and over again.

AP: Was the retro-soul scene that supported Amy Winehouse any influence on you?

RT:  It didn't have any effect on my choices; this music would have come out of me either way. But it's nice to see the spirit of people trying to dig in and make music from their souls.

AP: Is there more room in R&B music for songwriters and studio auteurs again? It seems that organic sounds are making a comeback.

RT: I've never seen myself as an R&B artist. I'm a musician, and a soul singer. There's always going to be music that's made for the radio, ear candy, and others who are telling the real stories and connecting, and then there's stuff in between.  Some people try to get to the center, and some find their own way.

People who think they know what R&B is, based on one sound, are missing out. It's as if you'd say Radiohead is rock music -- but it's different. I do strive to create something that you can only get from me. That's what my favorite artists do. You wouldn't say Stevie Wonder was an R&B singer, or Prince.

AP: Your songs sometimes have a Brazilian feel. What's your debt to Latin music?

RT: My lady loves it. She plays it in the house all the time. It's good Sunday afternoon lingerie-around-the-house music. It's sexy. I heard it and thought, I can sing over some of this stuff.

AP: You're getting quite a reputation as a live performer. What challenges face you on stage, as opposed to the recording process?

RT: You can't take a break. You can't be lazy. In the studio you can always take five more minutes. When you're in front of the people --  it's like they're saying, we're here for you. We got our hair done, we stood in line, we got babysitters. You'd better entertain us now! I like that there's no leeway. It's like being on a first date -- you'd better do and say the right thing.

AP: But now you have a devoted following. They'd probably come back if you messed up.

RT: Yeah, now I can show up drunk sometimes, because the fans and I have a relationship! (Laughter.) Not really.

Photo by Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times