Pharrell Wanted To Release His New Album Right Away

Yesterday, Pharrell unveiled the release date, cover art and title for his new album and his catchy up-beat single "Happy" was certified platinum.

While that same 24 hour span would be considered career defining for most artists, Skateboard P's promotional schedule from now until G I R L's March 3rd release proves yesterday was just another day in the life.

Pharrell performed "Happy" twice in the past week, first at the NBA All-Star Game and more recently, last night at the Brit Awards. The sonic mastermind's music will also serve as the soundtrack for an upcoming Red Bull television ad, a Fiat commercial starring Diddy, a possible eBay commercial, and is routinely heard on rotation by viewers of ABC's Good Morning America.

With "Happy" spreading viral via both Pharrell's public appearances and the track's commercial success, Columbia Records decided to follow the music industry's latest trend by opting to release the versatile producer's sophomore solo effort in such a short period of time, going against the standard protocol for album rollouts.

Joel Klaiman, a GM/executive VP from the record label, spoke on behalf of their latest big name signee. "When you look at the last year, Columbia had three of the most talked-about album releases," he says. "David Bowie was in silence without any activity (prior to release). Beyonce had rumor and speculation and she put out an audio-visual experience that shocked the world. Daft Punk had an incredible collaborative effort with teaser announcements. Pharrell wanted a sense of urgency to the project.”

In additional G I R L news, the album will feature 10 tracks, but fans won't know the full song titles until the album drops, even if they pre-order the project.

[Billboard]