Pharrell Covers GQ’s New Masculinity Issue / Says “I Get Embarrassed” By Some Of My Old Songs

Published: Monday 14th Oct 2019 by Sam

Cop a gander of Pharrell Williams!

The hitmaker cuts a striking a figure a-front of GQ Magazine‘s New Masculinity Issue – which is billed as an exploration of the ways that traditional ideas of masculinity are being challenged, overturned, and evolved.

Head below to see the ‘Happy’ crooner pose it up and open up about his take on the discourse surrounding what masculinity is in 2000-and-now.

On Covering The New Masculinity Issue:

“Well, when it comes to having this conversation, I don’t necessarily know that the masculinity is new as much as the conversation is new.

When you offered for me to be a part of this conversation, I’m like, “Yeah.” Because think about it. What is happening to a transgender person? What are they going through? They feel like their body is not connected to their spirit. And what kind of toxic environment do we live in that they have to justify how they feel? That must feel incredibly insane. That is spiritual warfare. So I wanted to be in the conversation. On the surface, it is an older-straight-white-male world. But it has prompted this conversation that I think is deeper than what the new masculinity is or what a non-gender-binary world looks like. I think we’re in spiritual warfare.

On Whether He Feels His Privilege Requires Him Speaking Up:

I’m not, like, an activist. And I don’t think my opinion is everything. I don’t know anyone else’s plight. I can just say, for me, the minute that I stopped worrying about what other people thought, and stopped catering to the fears that are taught to you—the minute that I let all that shit go—that’s when I started, like: Oh, that Chanel belt? I could wear that. That Chanel hat? I like it. I could pull that off.

On Gender-Fluid Elements Of His Outfits:

It started with the “I can pull that off” thing. I wore a lot of Chanel, and I wore tons of Céline. Like, I got all the O.G. Céline. Because they were clothes I could fit in. When you listen to yourself and you’re comfortable in who you are, you wear what you feel like fits and looks right on you. And that’s it.

On Critics Of Alternate Expression:

When people start using religion as the reason someone shouldn’t wear something, I’m like, What are you talking about? There was no such thing as a bra or blouse in any of the old sacred texts. What are you talking about?I was also born in a different era, where the rules of the matrix at that time allowed a lot of things that would never fly today.


On Learning From His Past:

“Some of my old songs, I would never write or sing today. I get embarrassed by some of that stuff. It just took a lot of time and growth to get to that place.”

Your thoughts?

[Photo Credit: GQ / Micaiah Carter]

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  1. 2bad2bme October 14, 2019

    When the white man tells straight black men to act feminine for a check to promote homosexuality. This is what you have to do to remain popular in the industry these days as a BLACK man.

    • Why Tho…. October 14, 2019

      Every single word you just said is absolutely true. Unfortunately the black man has to be emasculated to be or remain relevant. It’s only going to get worse.

      • Oh plz October 14, 2019

        FACTS of life. Absolutely disgusting.

    • Lanafan1 October 14, 2019

      This has nothing to do with homosexuality. The point went over your head lolol

    • Clarkson October 14, 2019

      I knew I was going to see a comment like yours.

      What u said doesnt even make any sense

      What is wrong in being feminine?

      Promote homosexuality like how? Straight people do straight people shìt but nobody says they are promoting heterosexuality.
      U do realise being gay is illegal in over 30 different countries.

      All my life heterosexuality was shoved in my face, from cartoon to movies to music videos to literature to history etc did that make me straight? NO

    • ME YOU US October 14, 2019

      No ???? lies detected..?..

    • stan October 14, 2019

      sweetheart, gay people have existed, do exist, and will continue to exist.

      you don’t need the “white man” to promote it.

    • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

      AMEN! I feel bad for this generation’s gays. Everybody wants to be a damn sissy bottom. Gay men mind as well be straight with all the lesbian action going on. They all want to be women these days so gone is the top / bottom relationships. What u get is bottom / butch bottom relationships LOL.

  2. Detruth October 14, 2019

    Live your life how you see fit but how can you wear women clothes and call it masculine? If a person tries to make up their own definitions to words that already have a definition they are insane!

    • Clarkson October 14, 2019

      Who are u to define masculinity?

      What are women clothes?

      Clothes are clothes , just because ur used to seeing women wearing dresses that doesn’t mean dresses are exclusive to women.
      Educate ur self.

      Trousers are men’s clothes but women wear trousers and nobody says anything about it

      Men in ancient Egypt wore make up and robe like dresses.
      Pink was a colour for Male children in the past and blue was a colour for girls.

      • Tonet October 14, 2019

        Yeah you must be a t***** Clarkson. You are too much in your feelings girl.

      • tyty October 14, 2019

        You’re a t***** who hates black woman we know why you mad.

      • tyty October 14, 2019

        Poor black man… getting told to wear dresses for your masculinity not to be threatening to wypipo ??

      • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

        1. Who are u to define masculinity Clarkson?

        2.. What are women clothes? The clothes sold in the WOMEN’S department at Niemans.

        3. Same answer as number 2.

        4. FALSE. Women pants are made for women and sold in the women’s department at Niemans.

        5. This is only about the usa not foreign countries. A robe is NOT a dress. It is a religious costume!

      • Clarkson October 14, 2019

        U are uneducated trash, keep ur gutter mouth shut.
        Ur a troll. U dont argue with trolls cause it’s a pointless fruitless battle. I will never reply u ever again in my life.

      • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

        U are the TROLL u small-minded SISSY. U responded to my comment within SECONDS which means u are TROLLING this article obsessively! U keep promising u will not respond to my comments yet u ALWAYS do troll. Now that I put you in your gutter TRASH place always remember u are nothing but a SISSY. U ain’t sh1t. U never will be sh1t. U are gutter trash. BOW DOWN lessor. U can lick the ground my jimmy choos walk on wishing u could squeeze ur ugly ass manly feet in my shoes but never will so back to Payless your ugly ass goes!

      • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

        …Watch T***** CLARKSON start replying to me under his other TROLL account (Jazzy Da Bi Asian…’) in seconds. That t***** is predictable and laughable.

  3. only facts October 14, 2019

    Hmm…that cover outfit is definitely something.

  4. Clarkson October 14, 2019

    Damn lots of homophobic people on this blog.

    I thought this blog was a safe place for gay people apparently not.

    Ignorant people everywhere, It will be more embarrassing if these ignorant hateful comments are coming from gay people.
    Education is key. U guys need to read books.

    If u want to hide the truth from the black man, put it in a book.

    • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

      Shut it u gutter trash sissy.

  5. King Khia October 14, 2019

    Gurl…

  6. Paulo October 14, 2019

    ??? @ Pharrell and Clarkson

  7. Truth October 14, 2019

    I really hate when people say “ the white man is emasculing the black man”. That kind mindset is the reason why so many black men now have self esteem and mental issues. They always have to portray this tough exterior. No one came up to a young black kid and tells them to be feminine. It’s in them from the beginning. The point of this article went over your head.

    • XYZ October 14, 2019

      Funnily, those are the same people complaining that the black nen is always portrayed as a thug. Get your s*** together and let people just be who or what they like to ne. As long as they are not threatening or hurting anyone, who the f*** cares?

  8. Truth October 14, 2019

    The comments just shows how black people stereotype themselves. All black men have to be thugs or over the top masculine or they have been emasculated.. gtfoh!

    • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 14, 2019

      Idris Elba, Diddy, Michael Jordan, Steve Harvey, Christian Keyes, Common are the overlooked stereotype on how black men should be portrayed by the media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      STFU with your small-minded idiocy. Some sissy wearing dresses ain’t the right portrayal of black men as a hole!

      Bringing up ‘thugs’ or ‘over the top masculine’ is just stupid in 2019. That is NOT the point at all. Nobody puts thugs on a pedastool or thinks that backwards anymore as if that is a portrayal of black men in 2019!

      • Truth October 15, 2019

        Obviously they are not overlooked since you know who they are…if they didnt get the part..they simply didnt get it..Michael B Jordan, Will Smith, Sam L Jackson, Chadwick Boseman, etc seems to be doing just fine representing…Next Case!!!

      • ? Jasmine’s Grape Juice ? ? October 15, 2019

        They dont fit your narrative though:

        “All black men have to be thugs or over the top masculine or they have been emasculated.. ”

        And ill add Tiger Woods, Shaquille Oneal, and Michael B. Jordan too the list.

  9. I HATE BLLAck n whyyyte bitchexx y’all not sht October 14, 2019

    What the f***

  10. October 14, 2019

    LOL!!!!! lord have mercy.

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