The commercial success of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” will now be a success he must share with the family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye.
Thicke, along with Pharrell Williams, the producer of the 2013 hit, have been ordered to pay $7.3 million to Marvin Gaye’s family.
Gaye’s family argued the singer and producer copied Marvin’s 1977 hit, “Got To Give It Up.” Rapper T.I. was also included in the lawsuit for copyright infringement.
Initially denying the songs’ similarities, during the trial both songs were compared with key focus on the bass lines to which Pharrell admitted “It sounds like you’re playing the same thing.”
And welp! No further deliberation was needed.
This loss in court is simply the latest blow in a series of blows for Thicke, who hasn’t been able to replicate his “Blurred Lines” success.
Since his crossover hit, Thicke’s career has been in shambles. He was widely mocked for his MTV Video Awards set where he let Miley Cyrus “twerk” her young goodies on the then-married singer. Then following a string of rumors, he and longtime beau, Paula Patton eventually called it quits and he revealed his “party hard ways.” Thicke tried to win Patton back with the album “Paula,” but both the album (and his marriage) flopped hard.
Will Thicke’s career ever bounce back? That much is unknown, but what is known the Gaye Family’s $7.3 million check better not bounce back. This court ruling is a big and just victory for them.
