NBC might have hit pay dirt when they added Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani as replacement coaches on the upcoming season of The Voice . The “Happy” singer has signed on to replace Usher in the seat next to Blake Shelton and according to Reality TV he is more than happy to be participating in this, the seventh season of The Voice.
Pharrell Williams seems to be having his best year ever despite the fact that he’s spent so much time in the record industry. What began as a penchant for producing great beats has turned to Pharrell getting fast tracked to 2014 NFL Kickoff show when he joins Ariana Grande to play at the launch of the 95th season of the NFL.
Aside from joining The Voice and playing the NFL Kickoff show, Pharrell has had a very busy few years. He is responsible for the song that the whole world is dancing along to and is no stranger to the spotlight over the last few years as he has stepped out from behind the programming boards. What the world has come to learn of Pharrell is that he is a humble, soft spoken, almost shy guy who seems almost as surprised about his success as we all are.
It’s interesting to mention that to the younger generation, say, those who are younger than 20 years old, Pharrell seems like new news, but for us older guys and gals, Pharrell has been practically a household name. Or in the very least this is true if you listened to any hip-hip, pop, or r&b albums anytime between the early ’90s to today. The Daily Beast took a look back over Pharrell’s lengthy body of work and took us down memory lane to uncover just how deep in the music industry William’s influence runs:
“At 41—we can’t believe it either—the hitmaker has amassed some of the best credentials in the business. Beginning with Blackstreet in 1994 (he helped produce “Tonight’s the Night” on their self-titled album), Williams has written or produced for some of the biggest names in music: Britney Spears, Nelly, Jay Z, Kanye West, Shakira, Snoop Dog, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Daft Punk, and Beyoncé, just to name a few.” -Justin Jones of The Daily Beast
During an interview with W Magazine , Pharrell offered the following insight into his recent coming-out-his-shell fame:
By 2013, I had accepted my role as the… camouflage. was the guy next to the guy, rather than the guy himself. All my formative years, I spent standing next to Jay [Z] or Justin [Timberlake] or all those kings. I’ve always learned from the masters, whether it’s in music or art or fashion. But in 2013, it was different: Suddenly, it was not about being the camo anymore.
Who knows what the future holds for Pharrell, but one thing is for certain: it certainly looks to be bright with promise.
[Photo credit: Cheated Hearts]
