Pharrell can be described as one of the most influential musicians of the past few decades whether it’s in the booth or outside of it. Not only is he a musician himself, but also a producer; ghostwriting many famous pop songs. His biggest hits include “Blurred Lines” – by Robin Thicke, “Hot In Herre” – by Nelly, “U Don’t Have To Call” – by Usher, and so many more. This artist recently released a bibliography documentary but being the creative mind he is, the whole film is expressed in Lego!
The film has a star-studded lineup, all playing themselves with:
- Pharrell Williams
Pharrell building Legos with underprivileged schools, following the release of his movie. These meet and greets are in hopes of inspiring young kids to creative freedom. - Morgan Neville
- Gwen Stefani
- Kendrick Lamar
- Timbaland
- Justin Timberlake
- Busta Rhymes
- Jay-Z
- Snoop Dogg
- Pusha T
- Missy Elliott
- Nigo
- Teddy Riley
- Tyler, the Creator
- Chad Hugo.
- Daft Punk
- Pharrell’s wife (Helen Lasichanh)
So far the film seems to be getting a positive response with an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only was this biopic a way to use his creativity to show the music industry as a whole but also to give himself closure. In an interview with USA Today Pharrell says, “This movie was about me letting all those things go. It was like this crazy therapeutic …” In that same interview Morgan Neville, the director of the film, goes on to say “There are limitations, but I look at limitations as opportunities,” when asked about how it was working with Lego animations. All his choices in language and metaphors come to life right in front of your eyes. Following the release of the movie, he’s been on a press tour all over the U.S.A., doing interviews and building legos with young fans.
The movie starts with Pharrell reflecting on his first love which was music. This 13-time Grammy winner says, “It was literally mesmerizing to me and I didn’t even know I was mesmerized…I thought we all just stared into the speaker like WOAH”. The movie has incredible artistry and imagery throughout. He was a prodigy from a really young age. He was 19 when his first hit song “Rump Shaker” by Wreckx-n-Effect came out in 1992. It soon became a multi-platinum hit. He laughed at the fact that they made the music video for that song in Lego saying, “Doing the ‘Rump Shaker’ video in LEGO was so much fun, I couldn’t believe we were getting away with doing that.”
Pharrell says, “Music was just coming out of me”, which perfectly describes his career. He has over 2,000 songs with an array of artists including Sza, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Brittany Spears, Ariana Grande, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, and so many more. This makes him one of the most infamous producers of the generation.
Pharrell explains his producing and writing techniques as “… just running off of the adrenaline of gratitude, the idea that we’re even here at this point and that this is what we’re doing. Even when you’re jet lagged, you don’t fall asleep when you’ve got that kind of energy going through your body.”. There are many clips on YouTube of Pharrell writing songs in real-time including “Rock Your Body”-– by Justin Timberlake as well as “Ever Been” by Jennifer Hudson.
Pharrell then goes on to talk about the mental lows in his career and the stress of being a public figure. Ironically, he says the most depressive point in his life was writing his hit song “Happy” for Despicable Me 2. When reflecting on that time of his life Pharrell says, “How do you make a song about a person that’s so happy that nothing can bring them down? And I sarcastically answered it and put music to it, and that sarcasm became the song, and that broke me.” It wasn’t until he took more control of his own career that he started finding his love for music. This topic was discussed so informatively and effectively for adults as well as children to understand.
All and all this movie shows how Pharrell’s innovative and never-seen-before production techniques have set him apart from the rest. His contributions to pop culture are undeniable, inspiring new generations of artists and designers every day. I give this movie a 10/10- An incredible watch.
PIECE BY PIECE – Official Trailer [HD] – Only In Theaters Oct 11, 2024
