After first making it big when Oprah Winfrey invited him to perform on her show, Robin Thicke has continued his success by winning multiple Grammy Awards. On his most recent album, Sex Therapy: The Session, he collaborated with artists like Estelle, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg. Thicke will be performing this Saturday at the Vic Theatre.
Thicke, 32, is no stranger to the Windy City, which he called one of his “very favorite cities.”
“Every time I come to Chicago, I see some new area that I just fall in love with,” the R&B singer said.
Another one of his favorite things about Chicago is the audience.
“Sometimes they like to sing along or get their groove on, and then sometimes they like to go crazy,” Thicke said. “It depends on the venue.”
He added, “They got great taste and they like to get dressed up and they always look good and Chicago’s always a great show. There’s always a lot of beautiful women in Chicago.”
Thicke’s concert this Saturday begins at 7:30 p.m. with an appearance by artist Ryan Leslie. Thicke said he will perform songs like “Lost Without U” from his older albums as well as newer ones from Sex Therapy, which was released just last month.
“I’m really excited about the new album, and so we’re having fun playing the new songs and seeing what people like the most,” Thicke said. “You’re trying to make new music that people like, and then when they respond, it feels good.”
One of Thicke’s favorite songs to perform is “Teach U a Lesson” from his previous platinum album The Evolution of Robin Thicke.
“It’s sexy and the girls scream a lot when I do that one so that always feels good,” Thicke said.
Before performing in concerts, Thicke tries to get in some exercise.
“I just try to get a little exercise and get warmed up if I can,” Thicke said. “If not, I’ll just take a hot shower and have a glass of vodka and go hit the stage, do some warm-ups and that’s it.”
Thicke’s music reaches a diverse audience. He attributes this wide appeal to his life experiences and the way he sees the world.
“I have friends or best friends of all different races and backgrounds and I just see the world as an amazing, beautiful place of opportunity and people do amazing things with their lives, and I always try to believe that anything’s possible,” Thicke said.
Thicke does not seek to deliver specific messages when he writes songs.
“I just make music and just try to talk about what I’m going through or what I’m dealing [with], or try to make stuff that’s fun to listen to,” Thicke said. “But really in the end, my music’s always going to be about love, because I think that’s the thing that gets us by. When you lose love you lose hope.”
Thicke performs Saturday at the Vic Theatre.