Pharrell Williams is not a fan of celebrities who use their platform to endorse politicians.
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the artist and festival founder was asked about his thoughts about the upcoming election. He emphasized that he “doesn’t do politics” and elaborated on his humanitarian efforts in education. When asked if he would allow political parties to use his music, Pharrell said he gets “annoyed sometimes” by celebrities who attempt to influence other people’s votes with endorsements.
“I get annoyed sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you [who to vote for],” he explained.
“There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them,” he said. “I’m one of them people [who says], ‘What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you.’ When people get out there and get self-righteous and they roll up their sleeves and s**t, and they are out there walking around with a placard: ‘Shut up!'”
“So, no, I would rather stay out of the way, and obviously, I’m going to vote how I’m going to vote,” he continued. “I care about my people and I care about the country, but I feel there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I’m really about the action.”
Soon after the interview dropped, fans and critics believed Williams was shading artists like Taylor Swift, who recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ahead of the election. Pharrell didn’t name any celebrities in particular in his statement. He also didn’t reveal who he’s voting for, but clarified that he would “vote far right.”