Everyone has seen the blurred lines video, and now 6 years later, Pharrell Williams is trying to distance himself from it.
In an interview with GQ, Williams has come out saying that he’s embarrassed about both the song and the video, as it encapsulated rape culture. The song included lines such as, “I know you want it, you’re a good girl”.
““I realised, that there are men who use that same language when taking advantage of a woman, and it doesn’t matter that that’s not my behavior… It just matters how it affects women.” Pharell Williams told GQ.
Blurred Lines was written by Robert Thicke and TI, was shrouded in controversy. The song depicted women accepting and liking sexual harassment and encouraged rape culture. It was also sued by Marvin Gaye’s estate, claiming it plagiarised his 1977 song, “Got to Give it Up”. In 2018, the duo were forced to pay $5.3M to Gaye’s estate.
The music video leaned into the controversy, with two models dancing naked with Thicke and Williams. The models would move around topless and flirt with Thicke, TI and Williams whilst they sang. The video depicts the women as objects, only there to serve the men.
The song was banned by plenty of student unions across England and America. Despite this, the song managed to top the charts and sold 14.8 million copies. I think this one will haunt Pharell for a long time.
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