Robin Thicke has a special place in his heart for the late Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell. The Grammy winner immortalizes his mentor and the cultural icon in the video for his new song “Day One Friend.”
The music video compiles never-before-seen footage of Harrell and Thicke at studio sessions and birthday celebrations. As the song plays, photos of the two together and apart float throughout the video like a slideshow of precious memories.
Rapsody, who is featured on the song, does not appear in the video.
“This video is for my day one friend, Andre Harrell. His legacy will always live on in our hearts,” wrote Thicke.
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Thicke issued “Day One Friend” back in February in honor of Harrell. “The song is dedicated to @AndreHarrell, my mentor and day one friend who taught me everything he knew and made my soul richer, my life better and my journey much more fun and fabulous,” said Thicke.
In December 2021, Thicke and his most recent album, On Earth, and in Heaven, earned a spot on Rated R&B’s Best R&B Albums of 2021. His first album in six years was highlighted for Thicke finding his groove again and noted as a “breezy listen.”
On Earth, and in Heaven featured a handful of singles, including the Pharrell-produced “Take Me Higher” and “Look Easy,” his sixth number-one R&B single. The latter track was inspired by unsung heroes during the height of the pandemic.
“That song was already created by an amazing writer Nasri. What really hit me at the time, because I heard it right in the middle of COVID-19, is it made me think of the frontline workers, the mothers and the teachers — people who keep smiling, bring joy to the room, and light to people’s lives in the hardest times when we face,” Thicke told Rated R&B.
Thicke is currently a panelist on season seven of Fox’s The Masked Singer and has been since its inception in 2019.
Watch Robin Thicke’s “Day One Friend” video below.
