Pharrell Williams participated in a Twitter Q&A session with iHeartRadio on Tuesday, where he surprised fans by revealing that a new N.E.R.D. album is currently in the works. The project would mark the first studio album from Pharrell, Chad Hugo, and Shae Haley since Nothing dropped in 2010.
EW reports that a user with a Twitter handle “Leaa5SOS” asked the The Voice judge: “Are you going to make another N.E.R.D. album???? #iHeartPharrell.”
To which Pharrell replied , “OF COURSE!”
OF COURSE! https://t.co/1kj7I4EoMd
— iHeartRadio (@iHeartRadio) September 22, 2015
There is no other news or details about the album yet, or even a hint of a release date.
N.E.R.D. released three tracks earlier this year as part of the soundtrack for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water .
Pharrell hinted at a new N.E.R.D. album last year when he was joined onstage by bandmate Shae Haley during his iTunes festival headline set in London.
Haley told the crowd , “It feels good to be back in London. When we released our first album back in 2001 and first crossed the Atlantic, this was the first place to embrace us. You’re gonna like this sh-t we’re gonna release…”
Pharrell then followed-up on Hale’s mention about new material.
“There will always be an NERD,” he said. “I’m happy to be a nerd; the bullies lost, the nerds win.”
Back in July, Williams shared a video for his latest single “Freedom,” his first solo offering since 2014’s G I R L album. As NME reports, the video features a stunning array of imagery highlighting how freedom differs across the world, check out the video below.
Speaking of freedom, hundreds of Pro-Palestinian supporters recently convened in front of the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town, South Africa, to protest a performance by Pharrell. The boycott was organized by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel movement, in an effort to voice their disappointment with Williams’ connection to Woolworths, a South African retailer that reportedly has ties to Israel. Pharrell currently serves as style director for the company and aids in their efforts to raise funds for education.
Rolling Out reports that protesters chanted and held up signs that read, “Pharrell is welcome if Gaza is free” and “Pharrell and Woolworths have blood on their hands.”
The company maintains that it does not get goods from the Israeli-controlled areas of Palestine and that less than 0.1 percent of its food comes from Israel. Despite the protests, Pharrell’s performance continued on as planned.
In related news, Forbes released its 2015 Hip-Hop Cash Kings list on Tuesday, and the “Happy” singer is part of the top five highest paid hip-hop artists in the world. Pharrell Williams reportedly took home $32 million the past year, and has a net worth is $105 million.
[Image via Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for MTV]
[Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Coors Light]
