[review]
In 2013, Pharrell Williams became the 12th artist in the history of the charts to hold both the number one and number two positions simultaneously, with his collaborations with Daft Punk (Get Lucky) and Robin Thicke (the infamous Blurred Lines) – suggesting that he’s still going as strong as back in 2003 when he apparently produced 20% of the music played on British radio. After fifteen weeks in the chart, his single Happy is still number one, and it’s easy to see why with its mass appeal to children and adults alike; it’s a cheery song which will have you clapping along and singing and twirling about. The video can’t help but raise a smile, and even if you’re not a fan it’s still an undeniably catchy song and the innocent and inoffensive lyrics (‘clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do/ cause I’m happy’) will inevitably get stuck in your head after a mere first listen. Eight years on from the release of his previous solo studio album, G I R L came out less than a week ago on the 3rd March. It’s upbeat and cheerful throughout, and much more family friendly than his debut solo album ‘In My Mind’ on which every track is explicit. You can hear subtle similarities to Blurred Lines in the production of one or two tracks (particularly ‘Come Get It Bae’), which is full of woos, heys, and claps. These similarities are excusable and even enjoyable though, especially with lyrics like ‘when I open my window/I wanna hug you/cause you remind me of the air/I said yeah’ on the seventh track ‘Gust of Wind’. This is a track on which the Motown feel, which permeates the entire album, is particularly strong. There’s also a modern edge to these songs though, Gust of Wind sounding particularly influenced by Daft Punk. Whilst it might not be pushing any boundaries in its lyrical content or even musical direction, this album is just good fun.
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