Music Review: Robin Thicke "Feel Good"

Robin Thicke

Feel Good

Album: Blurred Lines

Year: 2013

         Robin Thicke gauges his girlfriend’s feelings for him in the apprehensive “Feel Good.”

         A hesitant piano opens the single, setting an appealing tone.  Some of the chorus starts the single. He asks if she’s ok with everything. (“Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good.”)

      He broaches the topic of “I love you.” He watches her face, looking into every nod or missed glance. He has to have some sort of clear answer. He’s the not type to make himself vulnerable. He needs her to tell him he won’t be rejected. (“If it told that I love you would you run away or would you run to me/I need to know it baby/If gave you all my loving would you give it back/What would you do with that/I asked a lot of that/And if gave you all my time when is the summer time/I know my down time, girl that's a lot of time/If I'm falling over you, then what you gonna do/I wanna come with you, I wanna run with you/I'd give you all my loving to you/I'd give you all my loving to you.”)

          The chorus is sung. (“Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel real good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good.”)

         He wants to know if she’s willing to take care of him when he can barely walk after too many drinks. He likes to indulge and would like her to join him. However, she may think it’s wrong. He fears she only likes him because he has money and wants to be arm candy. Perhaps she’s only out for her own career and wants to be famous herself? He gives her a pen and a pad, telling her to put down any situation that would cause her to not be with him. It would make things easier. He promises to be good to her. (“If I partied till the morning would you stay with me/Girl would you play with me, or would you hate on me/If I ran all out of money, would you pay for me or would you stray from me/I need to know it baby/If there's something that I could do to make you cheat lie/Girl that I treat you right, I'd do it every night

Every second that I'm with you is a special world/Like I'm your only man, and you’re my only girl/I'd give you all my loving to you/I'd give you all my loving to you.”)

          The chorus is sung again with some variation. (“Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel real good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Does it feel good/Oh babe oh darling/Does it feel good/Does it feel good.”)

        In the bridge, he says he would live for her. (“I'd give you all my loving to you/I'd give you all my loving to you.”)

          The chorus is sung again.

          Thicke’s needy vocals fish for guarantee that she will love him in return. However, the wariness he senses from her is valid. His perverted sense of wording (“what rhymes with hug me?”) and horniness have overwhelmed his persona. Like Enrique Iglesias, he’s much more convincing as the bad boy. Somehow, it seems unlikely that love from the right woman will ever be truly enough for him.

          In the dry “Feel Good,” Thicke is out of his element as the heartbroken balladeer.