Last night at the BET Awards 2014, Robin Thicke continued his very public pleas to his estranged wife Paula Patton by premiering a new single, "Forever Love."
"Hi my name is Robin Thicke and I'd like to dedicate this to my wife and say I miss you and I'm sorry. This is called 'Forever Love,'" Thicke announced right at the start of his piano-driven performance, making sure the world knew the purpose of his new song - almost as if his album title, tracklisting and music videos weren't enough.
As could be assumed from the song's title and the lyrical themes thus far from Thicke's Paula releases, "Forever Love" is an "I'm sorry" ode to Patton, with Thicke recounting the ways the couple attempted to reconcile, and him pledging once again that he'll always be there for his "forever love."
"You can lean on me anytime, baby, for anything you want and need / See, I don't need no reason memory or a season / Every day I will believe / That you and I are meant to be forever love," he tenderly sings in the song's pre-chorus.
Musically, "Forever Love" explores a third side of R&B, different from the loungey Paula lead single "Get Her Back" and the soulful follow-up "Lock The Door."
"Forever Love" is a straightforward piano ballad, with Thicke taking the song on solo. It's the most heartfelt performance from Paula to date, with Thicke's voice full of earnest longing and regret.
With a title so similar to the classic 1984 Alphaville hit "Forever Young," it's hard not to draw comparisons between the two, and it certainly feels as though Thicke lifted some of the melodies from the track. Though the keys are mildly different, there are similar vocal patterns between the way the choruses in "Forever Young" and "Forever Love" play out.
Watch Thicke perform "Forever Love" below, at the BET Awards:
"Forever Love" is a song from Robin Thicke's new album Paula, which is due to hit stores Tuesday, July 1.
