“Happy” is a song written and performed by American singer and producer Pharrell Williams, from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack album.
It also serves as the lead single from Williams’ second studio album, G I R L. The song was written and produced by Pharrell Williams.
“Happy” has been highly successful, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and charts in 23 other countries. It has sold one million copies in the United Kingdom, and has reached the summit on three separate occasions, both records in their own right.
The video’s creative director was Yoann Lemoine.
Lyrics for Pharrell Williams – Happy
[Verse 1]
It might seem crazy what I’m ’bout to say
Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break
I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space
With the air, like I don’t care, baby, by the way[Hook]
(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[Verse 2]
Here come bad news, talking this and that (Yeah!)
Well, give me all you got, don’t hold it back (Yeah!)
Well, I should probably warn ya, I’ll be just fine (Yeah!)
No offense to you, don’t waste your time, here’s why…[Hook]
[Bridge] (x2)
Bring me down
Can’t nothing bring me down
My level’s too high to bring me down
Can’t nothing bring me down, I said…[Hook x2 + Bridge + Hook x2]
It was released 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 Entertainment.
To coincide with the single release, the website 24hoursofhappy.com was launched featuring a visual presentation of “Happy” advertised as being “the world’s first 24 hour music video”. The video consists of the four-minute song repeated with various people dancing around Los Angeles and miming along. Williams himself appears 24 times on the hour, and there are a number of celebrity cameos including:
- Whit Hertford (1:04am)
- Kelly Osbourne (1:28am)
- Magic Johnson (5:36am)
- Urijah Faber (8:36am)
- Sérgio Mendes (10:32am)
- Jimmy Kimmel (11:48am)
- Odd Future (1:48pm)
- Steve Carell (5:08pm)
- Jamie Foxx (5:28pm)
- Ana Ortiz (5:32pm)
- Miranda Cosgrove (5:40pm)
- Gavin DeGraw (5:44pm)
- JoJo (6:16pm)
The minions from Despicable Me 2 make several appearances throughout the film, including one scene at 3:00am, in which Pharrell and the minions dance in a movie theatre that is playing the scene from Despicable Me 2 in which “Happy” appears. A lone, one eyed minion also appears dancing to song in its entirety at 4:40pm. The site allows users to navigate to various points in the 24-hour timeframe, including all 360 four-minute segments and each hourly segment with Pharrell. An official four-minute edit of the video was also released on YouTube. The video’s creative director was Yoann Lemoine. The 24 hour music video for “Happy” will be projected at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in April 2014.
The original video spawned many cover videos on YouTube in which people from different cities throughout the world dance along the song. Those videos are usually called “Pharrell Williams – Happy – We Are from [name of the city]”. As of April 2014, more than 1,000 videos had been created. Inspired by this global phenomenon, a French couple launched a website wearehappyfrom.com to showcase the re-makes.