In 2013, Pharrell dominated the airwaves with songs such as “Get Lucky,” “Happy,” and “Blurred Lines,” A year later, Pharrell finally received a push as a solo artist via Columbia with his second (but much more substantial) solo album G I R L.
But according to Marvin Gaye’s estate, Pharrell, in addition to Robin Thicke and T.I., blurred the lines a little too much on the trio’s single of the same name. Marvin Gaye’s estate sued the trio over their “Blurred Lines” record, assuming a lengthy court battle that concluded just last year. In a recent interview with Rick Rubin for GQ‘s Epic Conversations, Pharrell rehashed his defense.
“You can’t copyright a feeling,” Pharrell said. “All salsa songs sound pretty much the same… It hurt my feelings because I would never take anything from anyone. And that really set me back.”
Pharrell’s comments come on the heels of the judge’s decision in 2018 to rule that he and Robin Thicke pay Marvin Gaye’s Estate a total of roughly $5 million over similarities of their “Blurred Lines” record and Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up.”
While we understand Pharrell’s frustration, the lawsuit is officially in the past. Now, the generational artist has a lot to look forward to, such as his second annual Something In The Water festival