Pharrell Williams celebrates women with his new album G I R L

Pharrell Williams’s new album was made available to stream on iTunes radio a week before its release date of March 4. G I R L is Pharrell’s first solo project since his 2006 project In My Mind. The album features duets with singers Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, JoJo, Daft Punk and Alicia Keys.

Pharrell has produced many of the hits we hear on the radio and has also produced for many other artists such as Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Frank Ocean, John Legend, Schoolboy Q, Jay-Z, Gloria Estefan and the list goes on. Most recently, he has produced and written on the Daft Punk album Random Access Memories, which won the Album of the Year Grammy at the 2014 Grammys. He also produced and co-wrote the controversial song “Blurred Lines” which people criticized for misogynistic lyrics. Maybe this has had an effect on the creation of this new album in Pharrell’s celebration of women.

The album is characterized by its upbeat, peppy, feel good production displayed by the album’s first single “Happy,” which is also featured in Despicable 2 and is nominated for an Academy Award. Featuring simple lyrics like, “Clap along if you feel that’s what ya wanna do,” this song is perfect for the radio and is sure to be a bigger hit in the summer.

Another standout track is “Lost Queen,” particularly the end of the track “Freq” which features JoJo. “Freq” shows Pharrell’s more introspective side with lyrics like, “You’ve got to go inward to experience the outer space that was built for you.” The songs are separated by soothing waves crashing which fits the theme of the album perfectly.

“Brand New” is probably going to be a single as it features Justin Timberlake and has an infectious beat that you almost feel obligated to dance to. Pharrell and Timberlake complement each other perfectly with their light voices hitting each falsetto.

A song that I was surprised by is the Miley Cyrus assisted “Come Get It Bae.” Although this album is a celebration of women, Pharrell still clearly uses provocative lyrics such as “You wanna ride it - my motorcycle. You got a license, well you got the right to, wanna pop a wheelie, don’t try to hard to, take it easy on the clutch, cuz girl I like you.” This should automatically tear down anyone’s claim that this is a “feminist” album. Aside from this, this song is simply a jam and changed my mind about Cyrus.

The track “Marilyn Monroe” features lyrics for the “different girl.” The chorus belts out names like Marilyn Monroe along with Cleopatra and Joan of Arc which all do not compare to the woman that Pharrell is looking for.

Regardless, Pharrell’s G I R L is simply a great album and is a refreshing take on popular music. Pharrell will forever be one of the greatest producers, but this album also certifies him as one of the greatest artists period.