Gust of Wind

Album: G I R L (2014)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Pharrell in love with a lady who lifts him up mentally and emotionally like a force of nature. It features a vocal contribution from Daft Punk – the Robots previously recruited Pharrell to appear on their 2013 Random Access Memories album.
  • The song was inspired by Pharrell's wife, model and designer Helen Lasichanh. He explained to The Sun: "That song came to me in a dream. It's the only time it has ever happened to me in my life."

    Pharrell continued: "I woke up and sang them to my girl and said: 'Babe, this is about you. It's about the divine force you have which could be compared to a gust of wind.' I told her: 'Like a gust of wind, you remind me there's someone out there who ushers in the air as I need to power in myself."

    "And my wife was overjoyed when she first heard that song," he added. "She was also a little teary-eyed but then we have the Robots on there. It was like, 'Wow! Those guys are like, the next level."
  • This is Pharrell's "personal favorite" song on G I R L, and during the album's listening party he played it twice, excitedly jumping back to the start at the part where Hans Zimmer's string arrangement kicks in.
  • The offbeat electric guitar was played by 17-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter Francesco Yates, who is signed to Atlantic Records.
  • Pharrell takes the opportunity to rep his i am OTHER YouTube channel and cultural movement when he sings on the second verse: "Mothership Other cannot go away."
  • The song was mixed by former Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones collaborator Nathan "Mick" Guzauski. He was also the recording engineer for Random Access Memories.
  • Directed by British filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), the music video finds Pharrell walking through an autumnal forest in his trademark hat accompanied by some girls demonstrating their ribbon dancing skills. Daft Punk don't appear in the clip, however the French duo's famous helmets feature as ancient stone statues, which fly and glow during their chorus.

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