It’s 2013. Miley Cyrus has dramatically shed her Disney Channel persona with her hit track, Wrecking Ball. Daft Punk are dominating dancefloors worldwide with Get Lucky, and Beyoncé has broken all records by dropping a 14-track album with no advance warning.

Despite all this, one song looms large over the year - dwarfing all that came before or after it. Its name? Blurred Lines.

It’s a cultural flashpoint. The court of public opinion spins into overdrive, with the song’s creators Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I., hurled into the dock. Before long, Robin Thicke has become the poster child for provocation. His appearances generate headlines and record-breaking twitter storms, and his name becomes synonymous with sleaze. But who does his controversial cancellation serve – and did he know exactly what he was doing?

This episode was written by Michael Chakraverty

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