 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
| "Frontin'" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Pharrell Williams featuring Jay-Z | ||||
| from the album The Neptunes Present... Clones | ||||
| Released | June 3, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | March 2003 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop[1] | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | The Neptunes | |||
| Pharrell Williams singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Frontin'" on YouTube | ||||
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
The song's title refers to putting up a facade (or false 'front'), typically to impress peers. It was the 34th best-selling song of 2003 in the U.S., according to Billboard magazine. It was also featured on The Neptunes' 2003 compilation album The Neptunes Present... Clones, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in August 2003.
The drum beat was heavily influenced by the Beatles 1965 track "In My Life", and the bass during the bridge by Stevie Wonder. Pharrell had initially written the song for Prince.[2]
In 2024, the song appeared on Williams' soundtrack album Piece by Piece (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (May 21, 2022). "Flip It and Reverse It Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Stay Curious: Pharrell Williams Interviewed". Clash Music. July 9, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2022.