12 September 2024
This is why Pharrell Williams regrets a song he wrote for Britney Spears
US musician and songwriter Pharrell Williams is struggling with his choice of words in the Britney Spears hit “I’m a Slave for You”. “You can’t play with that word anymore these days,” the 51-year-old told the US magazine “The Hollywood Reporter” with reference to the word “slave” in the song title. This term describes “what my people, my DNA and my ancestors had to endure and overcome,” explained the black musician. It also stands for “all the cruelty that happens every day in human trafficking.” Williams, who himself had a huge hit with “Happy,” wrote songs for Spears as well as for many other musicians or was involved in them. With the club hit “I’m a Slave for You” in 2001, Spears shed her image as a teen pop star and gave herself a wicked image. “I think there are a lot of songs in which I wouldn’t say half of the things I used to say,” explained Williams. But for him it’s not about political correctness, but about something bigger: “It’s about having a universal consciousness.”
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
