The forever-young, 51-year-old musician, Pharrell Williams, has thrown himself into the fiery ring of Hot Ones, bravely facing off against host Sean Evans and a lineup of wings so spicy, they make the sun look like a lukewarm bath. As Pharrell wiped away tears (probably both from the heat and nostalgia), he took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on his epic career. But really, who cares about career highlights when you’re sweating out your soul on national internet?
Let’s dig into this hot and saucy chat!
On working with Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and Clipse:
“Man, we were just a bunch of kids goofing around in the studio, clueless about where it would all end up. Spoiler: it ended up in musical history, but who knew? It was less like ‘Let’s make a hit’ and more like, ‘Let’s see what happens if we press this button and then yell weird sounds into the mic!’ The journey was the best part – kinda like when you try to eat these spicy wings and you’re halfway through, wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea, but you keep going ‘cause you’re too deep to stop now.”
On creating the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle after being fired from McDonald’s:
“Okay, so this is where it gets hilarious. Imagine this: you get fired from flipping burgers, only to come back years later and they’re like, ‘Hey, can you make us a jingle?’ It’s poetic justice, really. I didn’t just wake up like, ‘A-ha! I’ve got the perfect tune for McDonald’s!’ Nah, they handed me the ‘ba-da-ba-ba-ba’ and we just rolled with it. Funny thing is, I got paid way more to sing about burgers than I ever did flipping ‘em!”
On his evolving relationship with luxury:
“I love designing things, man. But honestly? I’m not about that ‘I need this solid gold toilet seat’ life. I’m happy with what I have, and that’s mostly the chance to make cool stuff and collab with other people. You can keep the diamond-encrusted bathrobes. Give me a nice sketchbook and some chill studio time and I’m golden—literally, I guess, if you count some of the shoes I’ve designed.”
On crate digging for samples, and the “Wait A Minute” moment for “Lemon”:
“Listen, inspiration comes from everywhere. I’m talking everywhere. One time, I was watching this dude, Arlen Specter, at a town hall meeting, and someone started losing it on him. He was all, ‘Wait, wait, wait a minute!’ and I thought, ‘This is GOLD!’ So we chopped that up and boom – next thing you know, it’s in ‘Lemon.’ It’s like alchemy, turning random moments into musical gold. Or in this case, lemonade.”
On the possibility of us living on Mars (because, you know, why not?):
“Yeah, totally, Mars could be the next big thing. Just imagine: ‘Pharrell on Mars.’ Terraforming sounds like some sci-fi stuff, but honestly, with the way things are going on Earth, I wouldn’t be surprised if people are like, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll take a summer home on Mars.’ Just gotta make sure they have Wi-Fi and we’re good.”
On the future of music:
“Look, 15 years ago, if you told someone what music sounds like now, they’d probably drop their flip phone in shock. Music evolves as fast as the memes do. What’s okay to say or not say in songs now? Who knows anymore? All I’m saying is, in another 15 years, we might be making music with our thoughts, or telepathic beats or something. The future’s wild like that.”
On working with artists in the studio:
– Daft Punk: “Being with the robots? Pure euphoria. It’s like hanging out with two Jedi masters, except they’re wearing helmets and don’t talk much. You feel like you’re in a sci-fi movie. Or at least a really cool rave.”
– Beck: “Beck’s brain is like the Library of Congress, but with more records. This guy can pull out facts and genres like he’s flipping through a mental Rolodex. Every session with him is like a field trip for your mind.”
– N.O.R.E.: “Oh man, N.O.R.E. brings the ENERGY. He’s like a human firecracker, and every time we work together, it feels like I need to wear a helmet and strap in for the ride.”
Now, if you haven’t seen Pharrell’s episode yet, do yourself a favor and watch this man keep his cool (or try to) as he tackles the spicy wings of doom while dropping wisdom bombs left and right. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and most importantly, you’ll probably crave some McNuggets.
