Hidden Figures: The Album | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | December 21, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 33:07 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Pharrell Williams | |||
Pharrell Williams chronology | ||||
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Hidden Figures: The Album is the soundtrack album consisting of 10 original songs, that accompanies the 2016 film Hidden Figures . The songs were written and produced by Pharrell Williams who scored much of the songs in late-2014. The album mostly consisted of gospel music, and featured involvement of various artists, mostly female vocalists performing the tracks, while Williams also featured as the primary artist and also accompanied the female artists in few tracks. [1] The album was released through Williams' i am OTHER label, Columbia Records and Sony Classical Records on December 21, 2016. The album spawned five singles: "I See a Victory", "Runnin'", "Surrender", "Crave" and "Able".
Pharrell Williams acted as the co-producer of the film's soundtrack, and also wrote for most of the songs for the film. [2] All of the songs were inspired from music in the 1960s since the film and its events take place during that period. [2] [3] The tracks were written even before the start of the production, since late-2014. Williams in a Facebook interaction with fans, said "I attempted to put something behind the music, and nothing ever really worked out. I just — nothing worked for it. Then when this project popped up it was like, 'Oh, that's what I was supposed to be doing." [4]
The first track "Runnin'" was composed on time to shoot for the scenes. The song was inspired by the scenes of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) having to dash across the Langley Research Center campus to the only bathroom that a black woman could use. Williams said "What must have gone through her mind? They lived in a gender-biased, racially biased matrix where the gravity was much heavier on a woman than it was on a man. So they were pulled down in a different way. But their math, and their ambition, superseded it." [2] [5]
Another track "I See A Victory" consisted of gospel flavor music and also replicated the "classic Southern soul, zydeco sound". Williams stated it as "one of the uplifting tracks in the album", as it served as a "soaring motivational track", but also highlighted "the early '60s with what women are going through to today". [6] [7] [8] Gospel player Kim Burrell was hired to sing the track, after being insisted by singer-songwriter Kirk Franklin as replicate the "jazz inflections" in the track. [9] The album featured prominent artists such as Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway and Janelle Monáe, apart from Williams recording some of the solo tracks. Williams' songs were also used to draw in the film's score. [2] Williams stated to Deadline saying "We wanted to make sure there was a different offering, because when you listen to most scores, the chord progressions and the melodic direction usually has a Euro or Anglo basis to it". [6]
On September 10, 2016, Pharrell Williams performed all the songs at a promotional concert held at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the film's special screening was held. [10] [11] Along with Williams, artists who featured in the original soundtrack also performed the tracks. [11] The same day, the song "I See a Victory" was released as a promotional single from the album. [12] On October 20, 2016, the studio versions of the songs "Runnin'" [13] and "Surrender" was released as the second and third single from the album. [14] [15] It was followed by two more singles, "Crave" [16] and "Able" [17] [18] being released on November 16 and December 9. The full soundtrack was released by Columbia, i am OTHER and Sony Classical on December 21. [19]
A track inspired from the film "Anita" was produced and performed by Smino. It was released through Smino's SoundCloud channel on March 7, 2017. [20]
All music is composed by Pharrell Williams
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Runnin'" | Pharrell Williams | Williams | 3:35 |
2. | "Crave" | Williams | Williams | 2:53 |
3. | "Surrender" | Williams |
| 3:35 |
4. | "Mirage" | Williams | Mary J. Blige | 3:15 |
5. | "Able" | Williams | Williams | 3:01 |
6. | "Apple" |
|
| 3:47 |
7. | "Isn't This The World" |
| Janelle Monáe | 4:12 |
8. | "Crystal Clear" | Williams | Williams | 2:48 |
9. | "Jalapeño" | Williams |
| 2:50 |
10. | "I See a Victory" |
|
| 3:07 |
Apart from the original songs, some of the incorporated tracks are featured in the film, while not in the soundtrack. These tracks include: [21]
Bustle 's Johnny Brayson said "The women featured in Hidden Figures are finally getting their moment in the sun after having their contributions to the Space Race swept under the rug for decades; and they've got some pretty great music to accompany their big arrival." [28] Andy Kellman of AllMusic had written "Though there are contemporary production touches, everything is based in '60s pop-soul -- an unflaggingly upbeat and positive sound with bobbing horn charts, finger snaps, and gospel-style refrains galore." [29] Litcritcpop stated the album as "worth listening to". [30]
On December 31, 2016, Kim Burrell who worked on the film's soundtrack, received backlash after her sermon at the Love & Liberty Fellowship Church, where she was a senior pastor, received a backlash on condemning homosexuality, calling it as "perverted" and an "embarrassment". [31] She further stated homosexuality was a "spirit of delusion and confusion" and "has deceived many men and women, causing a strain on the body of Christ". [32] [33] Her speech was condemned by several members, including Williams, Octavia Spencer, one of the film's main leads and Janelle Monáe, who also contributed two songs to the film's soundtrack. [34]
Williams posted a message in tweet, in response to Burell's speech, saying: "I condemn hate speech of any kind. There is no room in this world for any kind of prejudice. My greatest hope is for inclusion and love for all humanity in 2017 and beyond", [32] While Monáe at the 74th Golden Globe Awards had stated: [35]
"I've been very supportive of love, and at the end of the day, I think that no matter where you come from and who you love, you deserve to have a right to the American dream and to also have your story told ... I just think that anybody who is representing hate is a part of the problem and I hope we can learn from each other and be more empathetic of one another, and I hope we can all remember that at the end of the day we all bleed the same color." [35]
The film's promotion at The Ellen DeGeneres Show , was affected as the show host Ellen DeGeneres cancelled Burell's appearance, following her statements, where she was intended to sing a duet on one of the songs. [36] Instead, the show went on with Williams making an appearance. [33] [37]
Award/Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
African-American Film Critics Association | February 8, 2017 | Best Song | "I See Victory" | Won | [38] |
Black Reel Awards | February 16, 2017 | Outstanding Original Song | "Surrender" – Lalah Hathaway and Pharrell Williams | Nominated | [39] |
Grammy Awards | January 28, 2018 | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Hidden Figures: The Album – Pharrell Williams | Nominated | [40] |
Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 17, 2016 | Best Song – Feature Film | "Running" – Pharrell Williams | Nominated | [41] |
Houston Film Critics Society | January 6, 2017 | Best Original Song | "Running" – Pharrell Williams | Nominated | [42] |
NAACP Image Awards | February 11, 2017 | Outstanding Song | "I See Victory" – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams | Won | [43] [44] |
Satellite Awards | February 19, 2017 | Best Original Song | "Running" – Pharrell Williams | Nominated | [45] |
Credits adapted from Allmusic [46]
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams, often known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician. He first became known as one half of the music production duo the Neptunes, which he formed with Chad Hugo in 1992. Fifteen of their productions have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, which includes four songs that peaked atop the chart. The two also formed the alternative band N.E.R.D. with drummer Shay Haley in 1999, for which Williams served as lead vocalist. He has been considered one of the most influential music producers of the 21st century for his impact on popular music.
"Boys" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third album Britney (2001). It was written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams. A version of the song titled "The Co-Ed Remix" and featuring guest vocals from Williams was released as the fifth single from Britney on June 24, 2002. The new version also served as the second single from the soundtrack of Austin Powers in Goldmember. "Boys" is a R&B and hip hop song, including funk influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions were noted by critics to be reminiscent of music by American artist Janet Jackson. Some critics praised Spears and Williams' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
Kimberly Jean Burrell is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor from Houston, Texas.
The discography of Pharrell Williams, an American musician and record producer, consists of two studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), three mixtapes, 30 singles.
Running is a gait of terrestrial locomotion, typically faster than walking.
Despicable Me: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, and it was released on July 6, 2010. It features new songs from the film written, performed, produced and/or composed by Pharrell Williams, and performances by Destinee & Paris, The Sylvers, Robin Thicke, The Bee Gees, and David Bisbal. A soundtrack album including the many other songs that appear in the film has been unofficially unreleased.
"Happy" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams, released as the only single from the soundtrack album for the film Despicable Me 2 (2013). The song was first released on July 2, 2013 with the soundtrack, and it was released as a single on November 21, 2013, alongside a long-form music video. The song was reissued on December 16, 2013, by Back Lot Music under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music. The song also served as the lead single from Williams's second studio album, Girl (2014). An official remix features American rapper Sky Blu of LMFAO.
"It Keeps You Runnin'" is a song by the American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The song was written by band member Michael McDonald, and served as the third single from their sixth studio album Takin' It to the Streets (1976). It was also covered by Carly Simon the same year and released as the lead single from her sixth studio album Another Passenger.
"Shine" is a song written and recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani featuring Pharrell Williams, who also produced the song. Originally intended for Stefani's band No Doubt, it is a reggae pop and ska song that is featured in the 2014 live-action/animated film Paddington. The lyrics revolve around the lead character Paddington Bear's journey to London and his identity crisis. Stefani initially disagreed with Williams' choice to use direct references to Paddington in the lyrics, but praised this decision after watching the film with her children. She reported that her involvement with the recording was inspired by her then-husband Gavin Rossdale and her children's connection to England.
Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the 2013 film Despicable Me 2; the sequel to Despicable Me (2010). The album was released on July 2, 2013, through Back Lot Music. The original music was composed by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams, who previously scored for Despicable Me. The soundtrack to the film featured 24 tracks – eight songs and the remainder of the album, consists of original score tracks. Out of the eight songs, three original tracks, written by Williams, were featured in the album as well as the tracks "Another Irish Drinking Song", "I Swear" and "Y.M.C.A." were incorporated into the album. Besides that, two tracks from Despicable Me: "Fun, Fun, Fun" and the titular track is also featured in the soundtrack.
"Freedom" is a song by Pharrell Williams which was released for streaming on Apple Music and played by Zane Lowe on his show on Beats 1 on its launch date of June 30, 2015. Part of the song was made available as a teaser on Williams' Twitter page and was also used in a promotional video for Apple Music. Its music video was nominated for Best Music Video at the 58th Grammy Awards.
Hidden Figures is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. It is loosely based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly about three female African-American mathematicians: Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who worked at NASA during the Space Race. Other stars include Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, and Glen Powell.
Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. The album was released on December 16, 2016, through Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records. It succeeds Cudi's alternative rock album Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (2015). The album features guest appearances from André 3000, Pharrell Williams, Travis Scott and Willow Smith. The production on the album was handled by Cudi himself, alongside Plain Pat, Mike Dean, Dot da Genius, Anthony Kilhoffer, Mike Will Made It and Pharrell Williams, among others.
"Surfin'" is a song by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on September 30, 2016, as the lead single from his sixth studio album, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'. The song was written alongside Pharrell Williams, who also makes a vocal appearance on the extended outro of the album version of the song. The song was later included on Cudi’s first greatest hits album The Boy Who Flew to the Moon, Vol. 1 (2022).
Margaret Debay Rogers is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Maryland. After her song "Alaska" was played to artist-in-residence Pharrell Williams during a master class at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2016, she gained widespread recognition. She has released two independent albums, The Echo (2012) and Blood Ballet (2014), and three studio albums, Heard It in a Past Life (2019), Surrender (2022) and Don't Forget Me (2024). She was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2020.
Me Before You (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2016 film Me Before You, based on the 2012 novel of the same name. The album, released on June 1, 2016, by Interscope Records, featured a compilation of songs from various artists including Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Holychild, Max Jury, Jack Garratt, The 1975, X Ambassadors among others. Me Before You (Original Motion Picture Score), another album featuring instrumentals from the film's original score composed by Craig Armstrong was released on June 3, 2016, by WaterTower Music, accompanying with the film's theatrical release.
Hidden Figures (Original Score) is the score album jointly composed by Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams and Benjamin Wallfisch for the 2016 American biographical drama film Hidden Figures. It was released on January 9, 2017, by Sony Masterworks. The score consists of gospel music blended with acoustic and electronic music, to provide computer-like textures. It additionally featured African-American female vocalists performing the background score, and had featured several musical artists, including Herbie Hancock to work on the score.
Despicable Me 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2017 film Despicable Me 3, the fourth installment in the Despicable Me franchise and the sequel to Despicable Me 2 (2013). Pharrell Williams produced the soundtrack album, and also contributed five original songs for the film. The other tracks consisted of several pop singles from the 1980s performed by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Nena, A-ha and few songs and themes from the previous installments. The soundtrack for Despicable Me 3 was released on June 23, 2017, featuring sixteen tracks, and was led by two singles – "Yellow Light" and "There's Something Special" – which was made available through digital download and streaming on June 8 and 13, prior to the album release. Heitor Pereira, who worked on the previous installments, had composed the film's music. Despicable Me 3 (Original Motion Picture Score), which featured Pereira's original score of 38 tracks, was released by Back Lot Music on June 30.
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