G I R L

G I R L

by Pharrell Williams
G I R L

G I R L

by Pharrell Williams

CD

$9.99 
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Overview

At some point between In My Mind and this album, tracking Pharrell's accomplishments became more difficult than ever. His 2013 alone must be considered historic. That February, he accepted a Grammy for his role in Frank Ocean's Channel Orange. March brought the release of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," a Pharrell production that eventually topped the Hot 100. In April, there was Daft Punk's Pharrell-fronted "Get Lucky," a number two hit. From June through December, the Top Five of the Billboard 200 featured ten albums that involved him, including the number ones Random Access Memories, Blurred Lines, Magna Carta...Holy Grail, and Beyonce. He subsequently earned seven additional Grammy nominations and took home three awards -- presumably stowed in one of the compartments of his hat -- the following January, including the one for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Just prior to the March 2014 release of G I R L, "Happy," one of several songs he granted to the soundtrack of Despicable Me 2, topped the Hot 100. That carefree soul throwback appears here, almost smack in the middle. It doesn't sound out of place in a set of upbeat, candy-coated pop-R&B that is relatively modern-sounding, laced with some elements of R&B from the mid- to late '60s and that sweet late-'70s to early-'80s spot. One highlight that owes more to the past is "Gust of Wind," a midtempo disco-funk Daft Punk collaboration filled with soaring strings and one of Pharrell's most effectively wistful/yearning turns. On the sunny "Brand New," he adds horns and shares vocals with Justin Timberlake, and they deal out some rare male self-objectification: "Like the tags still on me, jumpin' 'round in your bag." Much of the material is gentlemanly -- appearances from Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, JoJo, and other women add to the approach -- but this wouldn't be a Pharrell album without some goofball moves. "Hunter," like a funkier and tinnier take on what he did for Usher's "Twisted," is steeped in his charm-way-over-ability falsetto and cartoonish boasts with topical references. "Gush," what sounds like an outtake from the first N.E.R.D. album plus strings, begins with "Make the pussy just gush" and references "Light Your Ass on Fire" while proclaiming "My mama didn't raise me that way" somewhere between. Compared to his albums with N.E.R.D. and In My Mind, this is easily Pharrell's second most enjoyable album, just behind the original version of In Search Of... from 2001. It's fun, frivolous, and low on excess. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date: 05/05/2017
Label: I Am Other Entertainment / Sony Music
UPC: 0889854329228
Rank: 23736

Tracks

  1. Marilyn Monroe
  2. Brand New
  3. Hunter
  4. Gush
  5. Happy [From Despicable Me 2]
  6. Come Get It Bae
  7. Gust of Wind
  8. Lost Queen
  9. Know Who You Are
  10. It Girl

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Pharrell Williams   Primary Artist,Handclapping
Justin Timberlake   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Alicia Keys   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Natalie Leggett   Violin
Kelly Osbourne   Vocals
Bruce Dukov   Violin
Robert Brophy   Viola
Leah Labelle   Vocals
Lisa M. Sutton   Violin
JoJo   Vocals
Miguel Milliones   Scratching
Phi Hollinger   Handclapping
Darrin McCann   Viola
Belinda Broughton   Violin
R.A.W.   Handclapping
Andrew Duckles   Viola
Serena McKinney   Violin
Stephen Erdody   Celli
Miley Cyrus   Vocals
Roger Wilkie   Violin
Timothy Mosley   Beatbox,Beat Box
Darius Campo   Violin
Paula Hochhalter   Celli
Julie Gigante   Violin
Daft Punk   Vocals
Brent Paschke   Sitar (Electric),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Dave Walther   Viola
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
Dennis Karmazyn   Celli
Ann Marie Calhoun   Strings
Buford O'Sullivan   Horn
Bruce Fowler   Orchestra
Dave Guy   Horn
Helen Nightengale   Violin
The Dap-Kings   Horn
Helen Williams   Handclapping,Vocals
Francesco Yates   Guitar (Electric)
Jasmine Murray   Vocals
Songa Lee   Violin
Lisa Liu   Violin
Matthew Funes   Viola
Tamara Hatwan   Violin
Andrew Coleman   Handclapping,Guitar (Electric)
Lisa Sutton   Violin
Rhea Dummett   Vocals,Handclapping
Kathleen Sloan   Violin
Phillip Levy   Violin
Armen Ksajikian   Celli
Jessica E. Guideri   Violin
Tori Kelly   Vocals
Ashley L. Lee   Vocals
Shamika Hightower   Vocals
Terrence Rolle   Vocals
Trevon Henderson   Vocals
Cynthia Lu   Handclapping
Brian Dembow   Viola
Lisa Lieu   Violin

Technical Credits

Adrian Breakspear   Engineer
Rick Bryant   Assistant Engineer
Cass Bird   Photography
Anita Marisa Boriboon   Design,Art Direction
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Kevin Globerman   Engineer,String Engineer
Leslie Brathwaite   Mixing
Mimi Valdes   Creative Director
Phi Hollinger   Art Direction
Stephanie McNally   String Engineer
Pharrell Williams   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Mick Guzauski   Mixing
Femio Hernandez   Assistant Engineer
Eric Weaver   Assistant,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Ann Mincieli   Engineer
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo   Composer
Seth Waldmann   Mixing Assistant
Jimmy Douglass   Mixing
Nick Glennie-Smith   String Arrangements
Jeremy Cimino   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Mike Einziger   Composer
Ann Marie Calhoun   Composer,String Writing,String Arrangements
Thomas Bangalter   Composer
Alan Meyerson   String Mixing,String Engineer
Bruce Fowler   Orchestration
Hans Zimmer   Composer,String Arrangements
Eric Eylands   Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Conor Gilligan   Assistant Engineer
Si Chen   Model
Ashley Newton   A&R
Hart Gunther   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Andrew Coleman   Arranger,Engineer,Digital Editing
Damon Tedesco   Monitor Engineer
Rouble Kapoor   Mixing Assistant
Alexandra DePersia   Project Manager
Ramon Rivas   Assistant Engineer
Mike Larson   A&R,Arranger,Engineer,Coordination,Digital Editing,Assistant Engineer
Val Brathwaite   Assistant Engineer
Kenta Yonesaka   Engineer
Mark Williams   A&R
Jacob Dennis   Assistant Engineer
Matthew Desrameaux   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Florian Lagatta   Engineer
Beau Vallis   Mixing Assistant
Gennaro Schiano   Assistant Engineer
Ashley Johnson   A&R
Matt Weber   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Todd Hurtt   Assistant Engineer
Aleks White   Assistant Engineer
Nick Valentin   Assistant Engineer
Adrianna Allen   Model
Chloe Blanchard   Model
Cynthia Lu   Assistant
India Salvor Menuez   Model
Jerry Edouard   A&R,Coordination
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