Pharrell Williams wasn’t so "happy" when he made his mega-hit song of the same name.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Pharrell revealed the surprising origin story of Happy, sharing that the upbeat anthem — which took over the airwaves in 2013 — was actually born out of “sarcasm.”
Reflecting on that creative period — the same period which saw the release of his songs Get Lucky and Blurred Lines — the 51-year-old music mogul said he was facing a creative block while working on the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack.
He recalled asking himself a rhetorical question, “How do you make a song about someone so happy that nothing brings them down?”
The 13-time Grammy winner continued, “And I sarcastically answered it and put music to it, and that sarcasm became the song."
Happy became a cultural phenomenon, racking up over 13.9 million copies sold worldwide. It topped the charts and was declared the most-played song on British radio throughout the 2010s.
The song even broke records for the longest music video, with Pharrell's original 24-hour version holding the title until Twenty One Pilots surpassed it in 2020.
'Love Island USA': Why did Paige DeSorbo leave the show?
Jax Taylor shares rare update on Brittany Cartwright divorce case
Travis Kelce gives an insight into date night checklist with Taylor Swift
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal trial is swiftly nearing jury deliberation after a little over a month of testimonies
Phillip kept his look casual for a warm summer outing
Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut film premiered at 2025 Cannes Film Festival