Watch Pharrell, Kim Burrell Perform Spirited ‘I See a Victory’
Pharrell Williams and Kim Burrell recruited a gospel choir and horn section for their Tonight Show performance of “I See a Victory” on Thursday. Burrell dominated the track with her soulful, melismatic vocal runs, while Pharrell danced around the stage and added backing vocals.
The track appears on the soundtrack to Hidden Figures, which tells the story of the black, female mathematicians who helped NASA launch its first successful space mission. Pharrell wrote the majority of the tunes, collaborating with Burrell, Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae and Lalah Hathaway. Monae and Mary J. Blige also contributed solo tracks to the album.
During his Tonight Show visit, Pharrell talked about the importance of staying DIY with fashion. “What’s most important right now is individuality, so whatever it is that’s gonna help you shine more – not necessarily in terms of brightness, but [help] the real you come out – I think that’s what you should do,” he said. “And it should be DIY, do it yourself, on top of it. Just do your thing to it. Don’t just mannequin shop – that’s very 2000s.”