Happy and other movie sounds

Let It Go, the Academy Award winner for Best Song from the animated film Frozen, is not the only tune that became a big hit from last year’s batch of movie soundtracks. There is also Happy, the cheerful paean to happiness that was written and performed by Pharrell Williams. It was used in the also animated feature Despicable Me 2 and is now a big hit all over the world. 

You have certainly heard the song. Truth to tell, it really looks like there is nobody who does not know or has not heard of this thoroughly mood lifting tune with a fantastic hook. It goes, “Because I’m happy/Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof/because I’m happy/Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth/because I’m happy/Clap along if you know what happiness is to you/because I’m happy/Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.”

Happy was also nominated at the Oscars but obviously lost out to Let It Go. Losing, however, did not in any way stop the song’s journey to huge success. It made No. 1 one in several countries primarily, of course, in the US, where it was on top for 10 consecutive weeks. It had been used in several commercials. It became the carrier single of Pharrell’s new solo album titled Girl and it became the first song in pop music history to be featured in a video that goes on for a long 24 hours. 

That means one whole day and an entire night of Happy on an extended loop with images of Pharrell, Despicable Me’s minions, celebrities like Steve Carell, Jamie Foxx, Jimmy Kimmel and many others dancing and miming to the song. You can go to the website 24hoursofhappy.com to check this out. There is an official four-minute version often seen on TV. This is aside from all those videos featuring just about anybody so enchanted by Happy they just had to come up with their own Happy films. As of this writing, there are already almost 2,000 cover videos of Happy from various parts of the world. Pharrell must be one happy guy.

Pharrell is no stranger to hit-making. He is one of the most in-demand and most innovative composers and producers today. He was named Billboard Magazine’s Producer of the Decade in 2010. From teenage prodigy, he became one-half of The Neptunes with Chad Hugo. Then he went on to create big sellers like Get Lucky for Daft Punk; Blurred Lines for Robin Thicke; I’m A Slave 4 U for Britney Spears; Like I Love You for Justin Timberlake and many others. 

He is also a big name in design with his own apparel and accessories line. And as I am sure you must have noticed from those hats he enjoys wearing, Pharrell is also a fashion plate. If I remember right, he dared to show up at the Academy Awards wearing shorts, a tuxedo jacket and a hat that he all designed himself. It was not really proper but he got talked about a lot.  Still not one of these accomplishments compares with his masterpiece, Happy, a great song that continues to make lots of people feel happy.

Incidentally, you might want to check out Happy in Pharrell’s solo album titled Girl. This also includes Marilyn Monroe, Brand New, a duet with Justin Timberlake; Hunter; Gush; Come Get It Bae; Gust of Wind; Lost Queen; Know Who You Are, a duet with Alicia Keys; and It Girl.

Happy is also one of the featured songs in Glee: The Music Celebrating 100 Episodes. The latest in the Glee soundtrack series has 13 songs performed in the celebration episodes of the popular TV show by the cast led by Matthew Morrison as teacher Will Shuester, along with notable guests like Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly and Kristin Chenoweth as April. All of the cuts are new recordings.

This is why although Don’t Stop Believin’, the Journey classic that helped get the show off to a phenomenal beginning, is the closing song in the line-up, this is a new version that does not include the departed Cory Monteith who played Finn.  Unfortunately, Cory did not make it to the 100th show. But everybody else is in the album and they are celebrating.

Namely: Lea Michelle, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Dianna Agron, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Chord Overstreet and Jenna Ushkowitz. They do Keep Holding On, Valerie, Defying Gravity, Raise Your Glass, Toxic, Party All The Time, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Loser Like Me, Be Okay, I Am Changing and Just Give Me A Reason. As for Happy, it is decidedly one of the album’s bright spots as performed by Matthew, Kristin, Gwyneth, Darren and Amber.