Pharrell has had a wonderful career. In the past year he’s produced hits like “Blurred Lines”, “Get Lucky”, and the Oscar nominated “Happy.” With a track record like that it’s hard to believe that G I R L is only Pharrell’s 2nd solo album. If you’re looking for Skateboard P, you won’t find him on this album. (Although you may find a pretty dope verse from him on Future’s “Move That Dope.”) This album gives us Pharrell in a super comfortable zone and him singing with his falsetto over groovy production. With wonderful production, G I R L stands as an enjoyable album.
There is no surprise that the production on this album is superior to the vocals. Although Pharrell has an acceptable singing voice, his vocals aren’t necessarily the best. Pharrell does a nice job of staying in his range and using crafty song writing and arrangement that compliments the production nicely. The production here is excellent. With beautiful instrumentation and groovy bass lines, this album is sure to get you dancing and head bobbing even if you don’t plan to. Pharrell does what he is best at, crafting infectious beats with dynamic drum patterns.
Standout songs like “Gust Of Wind” that finds Pharrell paired with Daft Punk and provides breezy, wonderfully put together instrumentation. Songs like “Gush” provide that classic Neptunes sound that many fans have loved for years. His collaborators on this project do a great job of joining in on the fun and enhancing the album. Even on “Come Get It Bae” Pharrell takes a song originally by former Star Trak artist, Rhea, collaborates with Miley Cyrus, and she doesn’t ruin it. The hidden track found on the back end of “Lost Queen” is the interlude “Freq” which features singer JoJo and is the only slow song on the album. It is a nice touch and contains dope lyrics like “You gotta go inward to experience the Outer Space that was built for you.”
Overall Pharrell delivers a good album, and it sounds like he really had fun putting it together. His joyful voice and foot tapping production makes for a happy atmosphere and an enjoyable feel. He maintains his position as a top producer of the music industry and proves that his artistry is top notch.
AHH RATINGS
Songwriting – 8/10
Production – 10/10
Cohesiveness – 8/10
Replay Value – 10/10Overall – 8/10
Favorite songs: “Gust Of Wind”, “Gush”, “Know Who You Are”,”Freq”(Hidden Track)