Robin Thicke, perhaps best known for singing 2013's biggest worldwide smash ("Blurred Lines"), has had a tough 2014. He separated from his wife Paula after nearly a decade of marriage in February 2014, and saw a string of newly released singles become commercial failures ("Get Her Back", "Calling All Hearts", etc.). By March 2014, it looked like Robin would float back into the abyss of average pop stars and never be heard from by a wide audience ever again, with all material in release doing minimal damage and no new released planned through the rest of 2014.
Then along came May. Thicke returned to the stage at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards on May 18th, 2014. Before his performance of "Get Her Back", hype was at an utter maximum. Unfortunately, the track was considered a dud of self pity and failed to dent any list worldwide (save for a US Billboard component chart). But that didn't stop Thicke. He announced a July 1st release date for his new album and titled it Paula.
It seemed a bit rushed, and I was skeptical of the whole ordeal (I actually though that it would be pushed back from its intended release date due to time constraints). Turns out, I was wrong. The official album cover and track list were unveiled on Wednesday, June 18th, 2014. Looking at some of the track titles, most appear to be direct references to trying to fix a broken relationship (see "Love Can Grow Back" and "You're My Fantasy"). See the full track list below.
1." You're My Fantasy"
2. "Get Her Back"
3. "Still Madly Crazy"
4. "Lock the Door"
5. "Whatever I Want"
6. "Living In New York City"
7. "Love Can Grow Back"
8. "Black Tar Cloud"
9. "Tippy Toes"
10. "Something Bad"
11. "The Opposite Side of Me"
13. "Time of Your Life"
14. "Forever Love"
So maybe Michelle Williams has almost always been considered the weakest member of the now defunct '90s/'00s girl group Destiny's Child. Maybe she's been "excluded" from dressing like other members from the group. Maybe that has started an extremely embarrassing Twitter hashtag (#poormichelle). Maybe her face is always covered by a sticker on all of the group's albums, and maybe her recent singles "If We Had Your Eyes" and "Fire" were both completely underwhelming.
I know that sound's like a whole lot of maybes, but one thing is for sure: I'm actually excited about Michelle Williams' just announced 4th studio album, Journey to Freedom. Why? Because of "Say Yes". While her latest venture is actually an adapted form of a Nigerian church anthem, it's absolutely stunning on all levels. Did I mention if features both Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland (the other members of Destiny's Child)? More importantly (and shockingly), Michelle delivers the best vocals of the pack, besting wold renowned Beyoncé and moderate hit maker Kelly Rowland.
Journey to Freedom arrives in stores on Tuesday, September 9th. The album's official album cover was revealed today. See it below.
That's it for this first ever edition of a new feature called Album Development, where I dive into news about upcoming large releases. Keep it here for more updates!
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