The latest from Pharrell is “Runnin’,” a jazz-age ditty from the soundtrack to Hidden Figures, a forthcoming biopic about the pioneering black NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
“Runnin'” is an Idlewild-style homage to old juke-joint music, and Pharrell dusts the production with subtle contemporary touches. The most clever of these is the bass line, which uses a tuned electronic kick drum to approximate the kind of thing a swinging standup bassist might play. Listen to “Runnin'” below.
UPDATE (11:36 a.m.): Pharrell has also shared “Surrender,” which features Lalah Hathaway and also comes from the Hidden Figures soundtrack. Listen to that one below “Runnin’.”