Pharrell: From singing about lap dances to being “Happy”

Pharrell Williams–or better known as simply Pharrell these days–has been churning out hits way before many of his young fans now were even born. Photo from allhiphop.com

It amazes me what transformation an artist can go through over the years… such as in the case of Pharrell whom a majority of young listeners even think he is a new artist. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys. Pharrell has been active–and has worn many hats, in fact–in the music industry for more than a decade already.

It is only recently that many young listeners are getting exposed to his music because of his global hit “Happy.” Hopefully, “Happy” will open the doors for them to listen more to his music including to those from early on his career to the newer singles that would be released in the near future from Pharrell.

Why so?  I remember when I had first heard of Pharrell’s name and got introduced to his music. That was through a song that was released sometime between 2001 to 2002– entitled “Lapdance”–a raunchy, rock-oriented and a highly energetic song from his band N.E.R.D. It was during those years when the name of Pharrell started circulating and got music aficionados talking about him.

Pharrell Williams–or better known as Pharrell these days–has been churning out hits way before many of his young fans now were even born. He is in no way a new artist but he does feel like he was “reborn” in a way because it seems like the new generation of listeners of today have grown especially fond of his music and he is considered now to be part of the current crop of popular mainstream artists.

Who is Pharrell?

Pharrell is a highly multi-talented artist. If you are fairly new to his music, it would be wise to take the time to explore his earlier works from his then more active days as the other half of a super producers outfit called ‘The Neptunes’ to his role as the lead vocalist for a band called N.E.R.D.

Pharrell has a strong association with Hip-Hop and has maintained a good working relationship with some of the said genre’s biggest names ever! From Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, P.Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, and so on! He has either helped produce some of these hip-hop artists’ biggest hits or he has been featured as a guest artist on some of their tracks. Indeed, Pharrell has practically done it all already in the realm of Hip-Hop and it only became a natural progression in his career to also work with other artists outside of hip-hop !

When he started to branch out of hip-hop, this was the time when he got to utilize more of his God-given talents and share them with new and upcoming artists spanning numerous genres who needed his vast knowledge, his experience as a seasoned performer, and his “ear” to what sounds good and would “click” with listeners !

And Pharrell proved he could do all of the above. That is why he is still one of the most sought-after artists in the music industry that almost everyone wants to work with in one way or another. From being that of a producer, composer, vocalist, collaborator, and even as a mentor to some. Pharrell is anything but a one-dimensional artist !

Pharrell has practically worked with everyone who matters in the music industry in some capacity and definitely his “stock” has grown exponentially because of the massive success which his song “Happy” has brought him !

Pharrell, as a member of N.E.R.D. Photo from allhiphop.com

The global impact of “Happy”

I never imagined that Pharrell would be as globally famous as he is now. I mean, even news shows, talk shows, and noon time shows have been using his song “Happy” (taken from the OST of Despicable Me 2) almost on a semi-regular basis as their background music or even as part of the show itself in certain portions of these different formats in television !

It just proves to me that Pharrell has not only adapted with the times, but his outlook in life as well is reflected in “Happy” which is such a positive song and brings a message to live life to the fullest and to always look at the bright side of things. “Happy” is almost “disarming” in the innocence of its lyrics and for me, that is one major reason why kids to adults just can’t get enough of listening to it.

Because in a time when there are wars happening all over the world, and heinous crimes literally taking place every single day, we all need a song to help brighten our days and keep us happy, so to speak. And Pharrell, whether he had intended to do so or not, has given us a song that has inspired millions from around the world to have this state of mind!

And the song works because it has a valuable message behind it as also an appealing and timeless factor about it that is hard to ignore… And for those major reasons alone, I see “Happy” becoming a classic soon!