Girl (Pharrell Williams album)
Girl is the second studio album by American musician Pharrell Williams. The album was released on March 3, 2014, by Williams' label I Am Other and Columbia Records. Girl was Williams' first studio album since his 2006 debut, In My Mind. It contains appearances by Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Daft Punk, JoJo, and Alicia Keys. Girl received generally positive reviews from critics. It peaked at number one in 12 countries worldwide, also peaking in the top 10 of the charts of 17 other countries. The album has sold 591,000 copies in the United States as of February 2015. Its lead single was the Oscar-nominated "Happy" (from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack), which was a huge worldwide success, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Follow-up singles "Marilyn Monroe", "Come Get It Bae", and "Gust of Wind" have achieved moderate success. At the 57th Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album. "Happy" also won Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Music Video. Background Williams provided vocals for French electronic duo Daft Punk's 2013 album Random Access Memories. After returning from the Paris recording sessions, he attended a meeting with record label managers, who said that the results were "spectacular" and that "Get Lucky" would be Daft Punk's next single. They also made Williams an offer to record his own album, to which he quickly agreed. On December 17, 2013, it was announced that Williams had signed to Columbia Records and would release his second studio album in 2014. On February 18, 2014, Williams unveiled a trailer for the album. Concept The work was described as a feminist "almost-concept" album in early reviews. Interviewed by Zane Lowe backstage at the 2014 Brit Awards, Williams 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." He added that he wished to honor the female figures in his life by making the record. Music and lyrics The opening track on the album, "Marilyn Monroe", begins with an orchestral string introduction. The song's production is characterized by Williams' distinctive bass line. The album's first single, "Happy", is a neo soul and funk song that Williams sings in a falsetto tone. "Come Get It Bae", which features uncredited guest vocals from Miley Cyrus, is a funk song with playful beat. Lyrically, the song is based around sex and the metaphor "You want to ride my motorcycle?" serving as a double entendre for sex. Singles "Happy" was first released on November 21, 2013, the song was originally written for and included on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack. The song was reissued on December 16, 2013, as the album's lead single. On November 24, Williams released the first 24-hour music video for "Happy". Guest appearances included Magic Johnson, Steve Carell, Jimmy Kimmel, Jamie Foxx, Odd Future, Miranda Cosgrove, Janelle Monáe and many others. The song has