walking upstream…
Pharrell Williams
photo: web summit/ramsey cardy/sportsfile · cc by 2.0 ↗Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams spent the 2000s as one half of the Neptunes, the production duo whose skeletal, synth-and-clap beats reshaped mainstream R&B and hip-hop, before stepping out as a solo hitmaker and fashion tastemaker in his own right. His band N.E.R.D. layered live instrumentation and jazz chords over that same futuristic minimalism, and his falsetto singing became nearly as recognizable as his beats. Few producers have shaped the sound of two consecutive decades as thoroughly as he did the 2000s and 2010s.
the sound in question
2013
HappyPharrell Williams
walk the tributaries ↓
Stevie Wonder1970s · Soul / Funk / R&B
Pharrell has said outright that he's 'definitely influenced by Stevie Wonder,' pointing specifically to Wonder's snappy, funk-forward basslines and chord sense as a direct model for the Neptunes' sound.
listen: upstream & here
1972
SuperstitionStevie Wonder
2003
Frontin'Pharrell Williams
listen forPlay Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' next to Pharrell and N.E.R.D.'s 'Frontin'' — the same tight, syncopated funk bassline anchoring the whole track, a lick Pharrell has said was directly inspired by Wonder.
James Brown1960s–70s · Funk / Soul / R&B
Pharrell has named James Brown among his foundational touchstones, and the Neptunes' emphasis on stripped-down, drum-and-bass-forward tracks with almost nothing else in the mix echoes Brown's own less-is-more funk minimalism.
listen: upstream & here
1965
Papa's Got a Brand New BagJames Brown
2001
LapdancePharrell Williams
listen forPlay James Brown's horn-and-groove workout 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' next to N.E.R.D.'s punk-funk 'Lapdance' — both strip a song down to almost nothing but a relentless, in-the-pocket rhythm.
Marvin Gaye1970s · Soul / R&B
Pharrell has listed Marvin Gaye among the singers he most admires, and Gaye's silky falsetto and sensual, close-mic'd soul delivery is an audible touchstone whenever Pharrell steps out from behind the boards to sing lead himself.
listen: upstream & here
1971
What's Going OnMarvin Gaye
2004
MaybePharrell Williams
listen forPlay Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' next to N.E.R.D.'s 'Maybe' — both trade in a hushed, high, falsetto-adjacent vocal floating over a warm, unhurried groove.