In 2013, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines was a huge hit. At first, the catchy tune seemed to distract from its lyrics, but, eventually, the critics caught on and detractors claimed the song was misogynistic and condoned rape. Thicke called the criticism “ridiculous.”
Then in 2013 came his MTV Video Music Awards performance. Being full aware of what the critics were saying about his song and its risqué music video, Thicke doubled down on the controversy.
It was a cherry on top when he performed his hit alongside a twerking Miley Cyrus in a nude two-piece bodysuit.
The performance broke Twitter records, but for Thicke and his already controversial reputation, the stunt made a mountain out of a molehill. Lines had been drawn, and Thicke was on the wrong side.
When Thicke tried to backpedal on his intentions for the show, even Cyrus refused to let him off the hook. She told The New York Times:
“He acted like he didn’t know that was going to happen. He was actually the one that approved my outfit. He wanted me as naked as possible.”
To this day, that performance remains infamous for all the wrong reasons, and Thicke’s music career has yet to recover.