Artist: Pharrell Williams
Album: GIRL
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I am a complete and utterly not embarrassed fan of all things Pharrell. Whether it is his N.E.R.D., production work (both solo and with the Neptunes), guest vocals, first solo record, or soundtrack work (which makes an appearance here, I dig his stuff. I'm hearing good things about this record and I've been excited to hear it. Even more so after being duped by the early stream being only 90 second snippets, so I decided to wait for the whole thing.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with a Michael Jackson vibe in the song and Pharrell is totally nailing it vocally. It's upbeat, got a pop feel to what they are calling a neo soul sound. It's got some elements of soul, funk, pop, and r&b going on here. Apparently also a Kelly Osbourne appearance. I had no clue she was still involved in the music industry. Pharrell is no stranger to the longer song structures, with some N.E.R.D. songs tipping well past the five minute mark. This song is almost six minutes, but I dug it!
Random Thoughts: This song is a duet with Justin Timberlake, who is all over the place lately. Their voices compliment each other well. These songs have a dancy vibe to them, I'll bet they will be popular in the clubs in the near future. This is pretty entertaining if you are into any of the previously mentioned genres. Pharrell has a great voice and has a great ear for catchiness. The song that should have won the Oscar for best song from a movie is just awesome. I could listen to it over and over and not be mad. The only complaint I might have up to this point is some songs might drag on a little bit too long and maybe the whole include Miley Cyrus thing. But, this is a dancey, catchy album. Oh Alicia Keys, how I love your voice.
Final Reaction: I didn't throw as much in the random thoughts as I normally would have, mostly because I was working on something in the background. But, this was a different experience than his previous solo album, which is a rap album. Overall, this was pretty great. The few complaints I had mentioned (length and Miley) did not impede my ability to enjoy this in any way. It was a pretty quality modern pop-soul album. I love the Despicable Me 2 song, and the other nine songs have me wanting to listen to it again. Pharrell is great with hooking someone in and making you enjoy what you are listening to. I will definitely be revisiting this.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
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