Pharrell Williams claims he can only hear Mickey Mouse’s voice on classic track
Pharrell Williams is no stranger to creating hits. Best known for his work with Robin Thicke on 2013’s ‘Blurred Lines’ and his own solo smash hit from that year, ‘Happy’, the N.E.R.D. also worked with various other artists, including Jay-Z and Daft Punk. However, one track that people often forget about in his extensive back catalogue is 2003’s ‘Beautiful’.
Reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100, the song was written by Williams and fellow Neptunes member, Chad Hugo, with the influential production duo also bringing the track to life in the studio. However, most famously, it was also co-written by Snoop Dogg, who released it under his name, and it featured on his sixth album, Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss.
In a new interview with Kelefa Sanneh on CBS Sunday Morning, Pharrell reflected on the hit song ‘Beautiful’, and said that whenever he hears it, he hears the voice of Disney icon, and cartoon rodent, Mickey Mouse. Given the high-pitched vocals during Snoop’s verses, his comments makes a lot of sense despite seeming bizarre on the surface.
“I had a song called ‘Beautiful’ with Snoop, right?” Pharrell explained. “Girls heard me singing that. I heard Mickey Mouse. I swear to you, when you just get a moment and you just listen, you’ll never be able to unhear it again. But that’s what I hear.”
In September, Snoop Dogg also looked back on ‘Beautiful’ when speaking to People. He revealed the hit track has much significance for his broader career, as working with Pharrell was instrumental in changing how he discussed women in his music. This was the first time he showed any great respect to women in his songs, as before, he’d been derogatory towards them.
“[Pharrell] made me do that song,” the West Coast legend said. “I would never do a song like that in the ’90s, but he tapped me into the side that I really never paid attention to. He was like, ‘You’ve been rapping about women and calling them h*es and they love you. When are you going to take time to show them that you love them and appreciate them?’ I was like, ‘I get it … put the beat on.’ Since then I’ve been on more of a ‘respect my queen’ rather than use derogatory words to explain my feeling towards females.”
In other Pharrell news, last month, the super-producer and musician announced that he pushed his Virginia-based annual festival Something in the Water back to next spring. He said his native state deserves only the best, and as it isn’t ready yet, he doesn’t want to deliver something subpar.