Based on recent events, Pharrell Williams’ music may not be an original, but an official council of fashion-savvy experts has ruled that the mega producer’s style surely is.
It’s been an interesting few weeks for Williams.
The beloved Voice coach found himself on the losing end of a legal battle when a court ruled that Robin Thicke’s smash hit, which Williams produced, was a rip off of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” from 1977.
Despite being ordered to pay the family $7.4 million, Williams and Thicke’s legal troubles aren’t over just yet.
The Gaye family is now pressing forward in hopes to halt all copying, distributing and performing of the hit song.
Gaye’s three children filed the injunction on Tuesday, USA Today reports, and are also hoping to amend the previous verdict to include rapper T.I., Universal Music, Interscope Records and Star Trak Entertainment.
Many have pointed out that the injunction would place the Gaye family in a promising position to seek royalties for the song.
According to a public statement released by the family, it’s exactly what their father would have wanted.
“With the digital age upon us, the threat of greater infringement looms for every artist,” the family said in a statement on Wednesday published by Rolling Stone. “It is our wish that our dad’s legacy, and all great music, past, present and future, be enjoyed and protected, with the knowledge that adhering to copyright standards assures our musical treasures will always be valued.”
It’s a decision that has caused a rift in the entertainment industry and for music lovers across all genres.
While some are praising the fact that the musical icon’s family will receive the money they deserve from a track that was so closely crafted after Gaye’s original track, others are concerned about what this ruling means for the future of music, considering the fact that in this day and age there are many songs that sound similar. After all, sharing a similar melody is what lays the foundation for many modern mashups, samples and other creative projects.
According to the Gaye family, however, the key component missing in this case was communication.
“Like most artists, they could have licensed and secured the song for appropriate usage,” the Gaye family’s letter added. “This did not happen. We would have welcomed a conversation with them before the release of their work. This also did not happen.”
There have also been reports that the family may be considering taking more legal action against Williams’ mammoth hit, “Happy,” because of its similarities to Gaye’s “Ain’t That Peculiar.”
Despite all the controversy, Williams is still having a pretty successful season in the studio, on television and with his wardrobe.
Anyone who tunes in to The Voice has witnessed Pharrell’s unique fashion sense and his red carpet moments always leave the Internet set ablaze.
It’s the very reason he has been deemed the fashion icon of the year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
According to Diane von Furstenberg, the president of the CFDA, Pharrell’s style and overall personality embodies what it means to be “cool.”
“If cool was a person, it would be Pharrell, not just for his looks and sense of style but for his kindness and openness,” the statement reads. “I cannot imagine anyone not seduced by him.”
In fact, his kindness is so overwhelming that it can get a little out of hand on live television.
Recently, the Voice coach was so torn about sending one of his teammates home that he officially entered the history books for the longest decision in the show’s history.
The show’s host, Carson Daily, was forced to cut to a commercial break in the middle of his lengthy decision-making.
Previous winners of the coveted fashion icon title include Iman, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp and last year’s fashion icon, Rihanna.
