Sony/ATV renews worldwide deal with Pharrell Williams

PHOTO: (L-R) Sony/ATV president, global chief marketing officer Brian Monaco, Pharrell Williams and Sony/ATV chairman and CEO Martin Bandier.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has renewed its worldwide deal with multi-Grammy-winning songwriter, artist and producer Pharrell Williams.

This pushes their relationship to a third decade.

As to be expected, many publishers were circling around as the prolific and highly successful Williams’ earlier deal came to an end.

Sony/ATV says he’s in its Top 5 most synched writers, and earlier this month was estimated to have a personal fortune of US$150 million.

It includes worldwide hits as the 13.9 million selling ‘Happy’ (which topped the Australian charts and was certified 11 x platinum here), the 9.3 million selling ‘Get Lucky’ (6 x platinum in Australia with current sales nearing half a million), ‘Blurred Lines’,  ‘Rock Your Body’, ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’, ‘Hot In Here’, ‘Money Maker’ and ‘Havana’.

Remarkably, ‘Happy’, ‘Blurred Lines’ and ‘Get Lucky’ were all global smashes within a space of 12 months.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said: “Pharrell has been part of my extended music business family for two decades and his talent, creativity and songwriting abilities are only exceeded by his humanity.

“We are delighted and proud to continue to work with him and his team.”

Williams, eldest son of a Virginia Beach-basde handyman and teacher, added: “It’s incredible to think that it’s now 20 years since I first signed a publishing deal with these guys.

“I look forward to continued success with Marty, Brian Monaco and Sony/ATV.”

Williams is one of the most prolific and successful songwriters, artists and producers in contemporary music, having worked on a number of the biggest and most celebrated global hits of the past two decades.

These include songs released under his own name, with his first group N*E*R.D and with collaborations with the likes of Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Ludacris, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran.

His biggest global hits have also been Britney Spears’ ‘I’m A Slave for You”, N’Sync’s ‘Girlfriend’, Justin Timberlake’s ‘Rock Your Body', Calvin Harris ‘Feels’ and’ Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’.

2018 has kicked off with Timberlake’s album Man Of The Woods, which features nine Pharrell songs, debuting at #1 in America.

He also co-wrote Migos’s ‘Stir Fry’which in February entered the US Top 10.

Williams also received a Golden Globes Best Original Score nomination and two Grammy nominations for his work on the soundtrack to the movie Hidden Figures.