Shaggy and Robin Thicke Unite on Upbeat Dancehall Pop Duet

Shaggy and Robin Thicke have joined forces on a new single called "Looking Lovely," which interpolates the classic 1977 Bill Withers song "Lovely Day." It was Shaggy's idea to flip the iconic track, and the result is a sun-soaked, riddim-forward cut that lands squarely in that pocket where dancehall grooves meet mainstream pop sensibility.

"Looking Lovely" is the lead single from Shaggy's forthcoming album Lottery, and the track blends his unmistakable Caribbean cadence with Thicke's smooth R&B sensibility, delivering an infectious, feel-good anthem that reflects the album's spirit of confidence and celebration. Shaggy described the single as "rhythm-forward, globally minded, and unapologetically hybrid."

Robin Thicke admitted his hesitation about taking on such well-known source material. He initially didn't want to consider singing over an iconic track like "Lovely Day," but Shaggy's take changed his mind. "As soon as the music kicked in, I was like, 'Oh, I don't wanna touch this,'" he told ABC Audio. "But then I heard his voice, and I was, like, his voice makes it fresh. It brings into a new audience into a fresh, youthful feeling. And so it just made it sound brand-new to me."

The two have already performed the song a few times on TV, including on Live with Kelly & Mark. When asked about hitting the road together, Robin said, "We're both tour junkies. We both love being out on the road and doing our thing, so we'll see where the rest of the year takes us, but we're open to it."

"Looking Lovely" arrives as the latest in a stacked series of pre-album singles. Lottery has already generated buzz through "Til A Mawnin" featuring Sting, "Boom Body" featuring Akon and Aidonia, and fan-favorite "Dancehall Nice," which features reggae legend Beres Hammond alongside dancehall star Dexta Daps. The depth of that collaborator list alone signals that Lottery is shaping up as one of the more ambitious projects in Shaggy's catalog.

Largely self-produced alongside longtime collaborator Shane Hoosong, Lottery builds on the sonic blueprint Shaggy has refined throughout his career. The album is set for release on May 15 via a partnership between VP Records and Shaggy's Ranch Entertainment.

Throughout his career, Shaggy has taken creative and professional risks, resulting in a sustained run of international success spanning more than 40 million albums sold. He has been nominated for eight Grammys, winning twice for Best Reggae Album, with Boombastic in 1996 and 44/876 with Sting in 2019, and took home the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist in 2002. Hot Shot remains the highest-ranked album by a Caribbean artist on Billboard's Top 200 Albums of the 21st Century, with four number one UK singles and eight entries on the Billboard Hot 100 to his name.

With Lottery arriving May 15, Shaggy continues to evolve a sound rooted in Jamaican musical traditions while embracing pop, R&B, and contemporary global production, a hybridity once questioned early in his career that has become a defining strength.