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With just a Korg Triton synthesizer and a small studio in Virginia Beach, Pharrell Williams has created some of the greatest hits known to man. To this day, his creativity knows no bounds, and whether it’s fashion or music, the producer has always managed to push boundaries.

Although it could appear after a mere glance at his resume that he is solely responsible for the success of the Neptunes, Pharrell has always paid homage to the various musicians who put him in the spotlight.

From the sparse drum beats to the straightforward melodies, one could forgive listeners for thinking that making music like the Neptunes is easy when, in fact, the very opposite is true. From the swing of the percussion to the irregular bass riffs, by design, Pharrell’s production style is impossible to imitate.

Many have tried, many have failed, and many continue to attempt. However, in an interview with NPR, Williams gave a unique insight into how he sees music and, in the process, explained why, even for him, some of his best hits are impossible to replicate.

While speaking to the publication, Williams explained that his desire to make simple beats came from a desire to counteract what he thought were bulky instrumentals. Opening up about his mission to change this, the savant told NPR, “I mean, I just thought everything was so heavy at the time, so I was like, ‘Oh, you know what? I’m gonna completely do the opposite’. Not for the sake of doing the opposite. It’s that search, you know, that search for something that feels different, and then you want to hear it over and over and over again.”

The 1990s had some pretty simple beats. However, by the end of the decade, the blown-out heavy bass of a G-funk track was undeniably harsh on the ears. Williams sought to end this cycle.

For a reason unknown to him, the Virginia Beach native liked a more reserved hip-hop style. Recalling how he and Chad Hugo developed the Neptunes’ sound, Williams detailed, “I was just really into a minimalism thing. So it was kind of like the least amount of sounds we could use, the better, because it’s the sparseness that, at the time, that I felt like would make one react.”

However, like many other legendary producers, Williams didn’t know initially whether his production style would be received well by the mainstream. Highlighting this, he explained, “You don’t know what people are looking for. What you know is what you feel like might be missing. It’s up to the people to agree with you or disagree with you, and you’ll know in their reaction.”

As he tracked his career from beginning to end, he spoke about working with Justin Timberlake since many credit him with giving the vocalist a ticket into the charts. However, Williams disagreed with the premise, asserting, “I didn’t give him anything. And that’s what I’m saying. I didn’t give him anything.”

He continued, “If anything, all I tried to do was fix the frame to fit the Mona Lisa. I didn’t paint him. The only thing I tried to do was just frame and add some interesting colours behind him. That’s all I’m ever trying to do is shadow and help create the landscape of a backdrop.”

His response was telling of how he sees music. After referencing the Mona Lisa and paintings, the subject of his synesthesia came up. Williams admitted that he sees sounds as colours first and foremost.

Delving into the medical details of the condition, the ‘Frontin’ creator told NPR, “Your nerve endings are, sort of, all melded together, if you will. And then they prune, right? So all of your sensory nerve endings are kind of connected.”

However, his synesthesia could be partially responsible for his creative edge. Unveiling he never knew he was different, Williams told the journalist, “People with synesthesia, we don’t really notice until someone brings it up and then someone else says, ‘Well, no, I don’t see colours when I hear music’, and that’s when you realize something’s different”.

He concluded by explaining that a lot of the world’s top mathematicians are synesthetes. However, this intriguing way of seeing music could be a reason why nobody has been able to replicate the sound of Pharrell Williams.

You can hear Pharrell’s NPR interview below.