Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was, arguably, the most omnipresent song of 2013, but it was also one of the most controversial, with many feeling the lyrics — like the oft-repeated “I know you want it” — made light of sexual assault. At BuzzFeed Brews on Nov. 17, The Voice coach Pharrell Williams — who produced/wrote, and performed on the song — addressed that accusation head on.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to reconcile the fact that some people just love to sound-bite and didn’t understand the song was about rejection,” he said. “If you sing the lyrics to yourself, the guy gets nowhere. And when you think about lines like, ‘I know you want it,’ a lot of ladies [said] that before, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t inferring they were doing something forceful with a man.” When asked if he considers himself a feminist, Pharrell replied, “If I’m allowed to be. If feminism is a synonym for equality, then, yeah, sure.” And to prove that point, he stood up and revealed this apt message on the back of his jacket.