Pharrell Williams is the man. On fire right now with a hit song playing on radio stations coast to coast making the world smile, his single “Happy” from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. He’ll even grace the stage at the Academy awards on March 2 performing “Happy.”
Perhaps as a dress rehearsal to the Oscars, Pharrell performed at this weekend’s All Star Game to prepare. Gone was the brown Arby’s hat he wore during the Grammy’s, replaced by a bright red one that he relegated to his performance of “Happy.” He performed "Blurred Lines" alone, with no Robin Thicke in sight. But Pharrell’s All Star performance wasn’t about showcasing his hits of today. It appeared to be more like a medley focused on reminding people of his catalog that spans back to the beginning of the millennium.
Busta Rhymes and Diddy joined him on stage to perform 2001's "Pass the Courvoisier." Wannabe comics on Twitter, said Busta Rhymes looked like he was hiding two plugged in microwaves under his jacket. Nelly briefly joined Pharrell to remind generations of fans about his 2002 hit "Hot in Herre." And an emaciated looking Snoop Lion jumped in for 2003's “Beautiful." Williams opened it all with a throwback of 2003's "Frontin'" minus Jay Z.
What stood out were his vocal chords. Opposite to his Grammy’s performance, when he sounded off key and like he hadn’t taken a moment to warm up, during All Star, Pharrell actually sang well. Minimum falsetto. Pure bass in the voice sounding good and ready.
With his March 2 Oscar performance less than two-weeks away, if Sunday's All Star gig is indicative of what Pharrell will do, he is preparing to wow Hollywood again. Just as he’s done skateboarding by radio, sports lovers, and the worldwide.
