Girl (Pharrell Williams album)
| Untitled | |
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G I R L (pronounced "Girl") is the second studio album by American recording artist and record producer Pharrell Williams. The album will be released on March 3, 2014, through Black Lot Music and Columbia Records with promotion of Williams' label i am OTHER. The lead single of G I R L is the Academy Award-nominated song "Happy" from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack.
Background
On December 17, 2013, it was announced that Williams had signed to Columbia Records and would release his second studio album in 2014.[1] In December 2013, press release Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia Records, said, "When we excitedly partnered with Pharrell in January of this year, we felt it was his time again. Since then, 'Blurred Lines' and 'Get Lucky' have defined pop music in 2013, and now we are preparing to launch Pharrell as a global solo superstar in 2014. 'Happy' is just the beginning."[1]
On February 18, 2014, Williams unveiled a trailer for the album.[2] The next day, Williams said in a statement, "When Columbia Records presented me with the opportunity to make an album, three things came to mind, One was the sense of overwhelming honor that I felt when I realized that they were interested in partnering with me on the album that I had always dreamt of making. Two, it would have to feel festive and urgent. And three, I instantly knew it would be called G I R L. I hope you like it."[3] He specified that the capitalization and double-spacing of the album title is deliberately designed, "because when you look at it, it looks a little weird [...] because society is a little unbalanced." Pharrell wished to honor the female figures that have been part of his life by making the record.[4]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | 85/100[5] |
Reggie Ugwu of Billboard magazine rated the album 85/100, and wrote that "like Williams' most recent hits, is a relentlessly positive and unselfconsciously joyful tour de force."[5]
Singles
"Happy" was released as the lead single from the album on November 21, 2013, the song is included on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack.[6] On November 24, 2013, Pharrell released the first 24-hour music video for "Happy". Guest appearances included Magic Johnson, Steve Carrell, Jimmy Kimmel, Jamie Foxx, Steve Martin, Odd Future, Miranda Cosgrove, Janelle Monáe, and many others.[7] The song has peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, it has also topped the charts in 15 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It also reached number two in Austria, Italy and Spain.[8] It has spent seven consecutive weeks at number one in Ireland, making it the third song in less than a year to do so, and the longest-running Irish number one since Avicii's "Wake Me Up!" in August 2013.[9] The song received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards, and Williams is scheduled to perform the song live at the ceremony on March 2, 2014.[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Marilyn Monroe" | Pharrell Williams | 5:51 | |
| 2. | "Brand New" |
| 4:31 | |
| 3. | "Hunter" | Williams | 4:00 | |
| 4. | "Gush" | Williams | 3:54 | |
| 5. | "Happy" | Williams | Pharrell Williams | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Come Get It Bae" |
| 3:21 | |
| 7. | "Gust of Wind" | 4:45 | ||
| 8. | "Lost Queen" (includes hidden track "Freq"[5]) |
| 7:56 | |
| 9. | "Know Who You Are" |
| 3:56 | |
| 10. | "It Girl" | Williams | 4:47 | |
| Total length: | 46:54 | |||
Personnel
- Pharrell Williams – lead vocals, production
- Justin Timberlake – vocals ("Brand New")
- Miley Cyrus – vocals ("Come Get It Bae")
- Daft Punk – ("Gust of Wind")
- JoJo – background vocals ("Freq")[5]
- Alicia Keys – vocals ("Know Who You Are")
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | March 3, 2014[11] | Digital download, CD | Black Lot Music, Columbia Records |
References
- ^ a b "Pharrell Williams Signs To Columbia Records". Vibe. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
- ^ "Pharrell Williams unveils new album G I R L trailer - watch". Digital Spy. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Pharrell Williams' Solo Album 'G I R L' Gets Release Date". Billboard. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ Zane Lowe with Pharrell Part I, Backstage At The BRITs 2014. YouTube. Retrieved on February 19, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Ugwu, Reggie (2014-02-25). "Pharrell, 'G I R L': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
- ^ "Happy (from "Despicable Me 2") - Single by Pharrell Williams". iTunes. 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
- ^ 3 MOS (2013-11-24). "Pharrell Williams Debuts 24-Hour Music Video for 'Happy' (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Pharrell Williams - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2013-09-24). "Pharrell Finally 'Happy' At #1 On Billboard Chart - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (2014-02-04). "Pharrell to Perform at Oscars". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
- ^ a b "G I R L by Pharrell Williams". iTunes. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
