Pharrell Williams was joined on stage by N.E.R.D bandmate Shay Haley at his iTunes Festival concert on Wednesday night (10.09.14).
The singer-and-producer thrilled the packed Roundhouse venue in Camden, London, when he announced during his show that he was "taking it back to the beginning" but he couldn’t do it "by myself" prompting Shay to step on stage to massive cheers.
The pair then performed ‘Rockstar’, ‘Lapdance’ and ‘She Wants To Move’ and afterwards Shay hinted there is going to be a new N.E.R.D album, saying: "It feels good to be back in London. When we released our first album back in 2001 and first crossed the Atlantic, this was the first place to embrace us. You’re going to like this s**t we’re going to release."
Pharrell then added: "There will always be an N.E.R.D, I’m happy to be a nerd; the bullies lost, the nerds win."
Before the N.E.R.D section of the show, Pharrell had opened his hits-laden set with ‘Lose Yourself To Dance’ – one of the tracks he recorded with Daft Punk for their ‘Random Access Memories’ album – and was joined by six backing dancers wearing white dressing robes and sunglasses for ‘Hunter’, from his most recent solo LP.
Before his rendition of ‘Marilyn Monroe’, he told the women in the audience: "Marilyn Monroe was a very beautiful woman both on the inside and outside but there’s only one Marilyn and only one you so if you think your beautiful I want to hear you."
Pharrell also performed several tracks that he co-wrote or produced for other artists, including a medley of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Like I Love You’ and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Sing’, Snoop Dogg songs ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot’, Major Lazer’s ‘Aerosol Can’ and Gwen Stefani single ‘Hollaback Girl’.
The 41-year-old musician also thanked Apple for putting on the concert – which was free for fans who won tickets in an online lottery – saying: "Apple brought us together, they have you guys and they let us come to the party and the whole world is watching. Let’s talk about devices. There’s been a lot of things going across your screens that have caused you to be fearful, so let’s party for love not for fear."
He closed his concert with ‘Blurred Lines’ – his hit single with Robin Thicke and T.I – his worldwide smash ‘Get Lucky’ with Daft Punk and his solo song ‘Happy’, during which confetti exploded from the ceiling showering his adoring fans.
Pharrell Williams reunited with N.E.R.D bandmate on stage
