Pharrell Williams surprised everyone with a new album last week, and it’s unlike anything else he’s done.
On his 51st birthday, Williams released Black Yacht Rock Vol 1: City of Limitless Access. But here’s what’s surprising: His name doesn’t appear on the album; he didn’t mention its release; there’s no marketing and it’s not available on any streaming platforms. Fans can only listen to it on BlackYachtRock.com.
Adding to the mystery, fans are unsure if Black Yacht Rock is the album name or maybe a group name. The album cover has the word “Virginia” on it with no further information.
Both Tyler, the Creator and Pusha T shared the album on their social media channels, but only to praise the project, not because they were necessarily part of it.
It’s the latest example of ever-evolving music rollout strategies. Over the last several years, many artists have walked away from the traditional album release approach — releasing one to two singles to promote an upcoming full-length release — to something totally different. More and more artists are now releasing singles only with no plans for an album.
Trying the exact opposite approach, Billie Eilish just announced she won’t be releasing any singles before her next album drops.
And in a totally different lane, there’s Williams, releasing a full album with no singles, no artist name and no promotion.
The music industry is clearly trying to figure out the best way to break new music in our algorithm-driven world. And by the looks of it, no one’s yet found the right answer.
