Entertainment

Pharrell is "Here" Again

by Kadeen Griffiths

Where is Pharrell finding the time to sleep? His song "Happy" is rivaling "Let It Go" for the most overplayed song of 2014. He's working on new material with Jennifer Hudson, being brought to tears in front of Oprah, and he's collaborated with Alicia Keys on "It's On Again" for the Amazing Spider-Man 2 soundtrack. As it turns out, that isn't the only song that he worked on for the album. Pharrell just released the song "Here", which features Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr, and the smoothest combination of easy listening and emotional vocals since the last Miguel single.

"And I promise on all existence, if it breathes then it is our witness," Pharrell sings on the track, over the sound of a score that wouldn't be out of place at Carnegie Hall. "We have unfinished business, you and I." The chorus contains the best written parts of the song while the rest of the lyrics are pretty hit or miss. There's a clear message, but the words could have expressed it a little better. The song's real selling point is not the words or even Pharrell's voice; it's the music.

Even the drums and guitars aren't enough to distract from the gorgeousness of the melody. It's the kind of song that would lend itself well to an instrumental version, especially to cover the more awkward lines like "Was there a glitch in my method? Isn't it clear we're here again? Let's get new GPSes." Pharrell's crooning is perfectly suited for the song and it all comes together nicely, but he seems almost extraneous compared to the music. That's what really wraps around you like a warm blanket. The intro and the outro to the song are particularly haunting.

Listen to the single below.