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In My Mind
EMAILPRINTby Pharrell Williams
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Interscope
Release Date: 25 July 2006
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rap, R&B
Summary
One-half of the superstar production duo The Neptunes, Pharrell steps into the limelight with this long-delayed solo debut, which mixes both rap and R&B and includes collaborations Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, and Jay-Z.
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: N.E.R.D.: Fly Or Die N.E.R.D.: In Search Of The Neptunes: The Neptunes Present... Clones
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Los Angeles Times
"In My Mind" sometimes settles for the conventional, but overall this one is too hot to drop. [23 Jul 2006]
RapReviews.com
He'll never win any of those freestyle battles but he can damn sure make a record that you'll enjoy listening to multiple times.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
In My Mind intermittently shares the ingratiating weirdness of Williams' N.E.R.D. side project, but his shaky rhyming and occasionally off-key crooning suggest he shouldn't quit his day job cranking out beats anytime soon.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
While there are a few too many lounge-bar moments - a hangover from his NERD days - when 'In My Mind' is good, it really is excellent.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
A large chunk of the material is second rate compared to his past highlights.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
The bulk of the R&B tracks are gloopy. [Mar 2006, p.106]
Uncut
Ultimately, In My Mind falters through narrowness of vision. [Dec 2005, p.120]
Blender
Even the best of these tracks lack the grimy menace of the most thrilling Neptunes beats. [Sep 2006, p.147]
Entertainment Weekly
If In My Mind seems divided against itself, rest assured that all of the songs have something in common: They're not remotely catchy.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
He just doesn't make a convincing rapper, and it's not only a question of charisma: his voice tends towards the monotone, and lacks honey.
Read Full Review >E! Online
There's nothing as instantly likable as "Frontin'," and even with the presence of some bigwig collaborators the disc sounds strangely inspiration-free.
Read Full Review >Prefix Magazine
In My Mind has several potential hit singles, but taken as a whole it falls dramatically short.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
A few highlights aside, it’s hard to understand why at least a half-dozen of these over-glossed R&B-lite numbers ever made it out of their maker’s mind.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Next to guests Jay-Z, Snoop and Slim Thug, Pharrell's playa-playa croon gets tiresome.
Read Full Review >NOW Magazine
If you were expecting some next-level shit from Pharrell Williams on his self-produced solo debut, you're in for a huge disappointment.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
Stylish and confident to a fault, Pharrell's success as a solo artist is, unfortunately, pretty much where the album title says it is.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
The idea that a producer of his caliber can’t put together something resembling a likeable LP-- particularly in light of his endlessly amusing Gangsta Grillz mixtape, In My Mind: The Prequel-- is insane. Here, he’s shot himself in the foot. Where the mixtape exploded with enthusiasm and wit, In My Mind the album is corroded and ineffectual. Worse, it’s predictable.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
Beyond the artificiality of this album's every attempt to be loved, what's most surprising is Pharrell's failure to program so much as a decent beat.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
He seems to be a better thinker than a writer and a better writer than a rapper. [24 Jul 2006]
Read Full Review >Billboard
While he is certainly an innovative producer, that originality fails to translate on "In My Mind."
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
Pharrell's all-too-shallow schtick becomes monumentally tired over the course of an entire album.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
There’s hardly an honest word on In My Mind; any sane listener’s bullshit meter should red-line after about fifteen minutes of it’s textured repulsiveness.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.1 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
greg b gave it a10:
i'm not quite sure what the negative critics have on pharrell's first solo album. like others have said, it only gets better the more you listen to it. my fav is "that girl", but this cd is full of great songs, not to mention several other artists, kanye west, snoop dogg, etc.
Emmanuel O gave it an8:
this album brings a little bit of everything hip hop and r and b most artists are not able to do that and he also produces his own beats
Vince gave it a9:
I've been listening to this album daily since I've gotten it, and its only been getting better and better with each listen. The people that be hatin must have been listening with some terrible speakers, this album needs to be heard LOUD and with the bass thumping - most of the tracks have some naaasty bass
David Y gave it a7:
I have a lot of respect for Pharrell- his excellent production work, his great live performances, the empire he's created. And he expands this empire further on this album. Sure, a lot of it is a little overproduced and doesn't have the "band" feel that the N*E*R*D tracks (especially on "In Search Of:"). But this is Pharrell's heart and soul on a plate and I don't mind it at all.
traci h gave it an8:
i think pharreli is a very talented man. to me some of the haters are quick to judge him because we ae so use to hearing his energy within the beats that he make and not giving him a chance. yes, he is a producer but he wants to expand more so you do have to become mre open with him when you listen to his alblum. the album is good some songs good some songs are great to me. i think some reviews are harsh because they have nothing else better to do then hate. get a life. love you pharrell
Roberto P gave it a9:
This is a fantastic album, from the production done exclusively by Pharrell, to the lyrical originality, the short guest appearances, to the off key singing. I listened to this and not since In Search of... has Pharrell gotten to this level of artistry. In Search of... had the same particular feel that this one had. When N*E*R*D*'s first album dropped it got mixed reviews much like this one is getting. Upon hearing it and the music being used in commercials, radio spots, TV shows and movies, it gained a cult following. The album was viewed as superb, ahead of its time, or an "aquired taste". All synonyms for an album that has an appeal for those that don't mind a diverse sound. This album has a little rock (Baby f/Nelly) which I don't particularly like much, mixed with R&B (Number One), Hip Hop (Show You How to Hustle) 80s Pop (Young Girl). That touches on all of the genre's that Pharrell has produced music for. He's pulled off a solid album that the only flaw is the variation in the production. Not that he isn't a talented producer, that goes without saying, but he kept it simple. Synths, and a drum and baseline. I doubt any other producer could have squeezed any better beats out of those three components.
ken j gave it a6:
Just not his best work. Stilll not bad. Too pop. There's no motivation behind the lyrics like previous work with N*E*R*D. Seems to just sing about being rich and hence most listeners cant relate. Still the beats are hot and fresh.
