Pharrell Williams has released a new song, “Piece By Piece,” from the soundtrack of his upcoming biopic, which chronicles his life and career. The film, directed by Morgan Neville, is set to release on October 11 in the US and November 8 in the UK.
The song, which features the Princess Anne High School Fabulous Marching Cavaliers, is the first taste of the film’s soundtrack. It speaks to Williams’ work ethic and motivations to becoming a musician, with subtle references to the famous plastic bricks. “Finding and breaking miracles to / We keep stackin’ high, high, high,” he sings. “Piece by piece, piece by piece, piece by piece, piece by piece.”
The biopic will also feature cameos from Williams’ famous past collaborators, including Jay Z, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, and more. Daft Punk, with whom Williams collaborated on the 2013 hit “Get Lucky,” are also set to appear in the film.
In an interview with NME, Williams described the experience of making the film as “amazing” and praised Neville for bringing his story to life. “He was able to do it in color, vividly – brick by brick, piece by piece,” Williams said. Neville, who has previously directed films about Steve Martin and Mickey Mouse, explained that the process of getting Williams’ celebrity friends on board was seamless. “They are all a part of Pharrell’s story, but they’re not acting,” he said. “There was not a single person who, when we asked them to participate, even hesitated.”
The film, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this month, is a unique blend of documentary, biopic, animation, and music. According to Neville, everything in the film is real, based on actual events and quotes from those involved.
