Pharrell Williams is sure having a happy weekend, as he performed his Oscar-nominated song on Saturday Night Live , and celebrated his 41st birthday with his wife, as well as characters from SpongeBob SquarePants .
Not only did Williams perform “Happy” on the late-night, NBC sketch show, but he also made an appearance in one of its skits. According to The Daily Mail , the skit consisted of host Anna Kendrick auditioning to be a backup singer for Williams – who wore a green-colored version of his signature hat. Williams was positioned between Taran Killam and Kenan Thompson, both of whom sported the same hat. Thompson claimed he’s “always” had his, while Killam said felt like he was “actually wearing this hat first.”
Pharrell Williams then went on to perform “Happy,” and also got some assistance from Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer with “Marilyn Monroe.” Williams would later take to Twitter to thank Zimmer and the string musicians, as well as those who served as backup performers for “Happy.”
The strings on #MarilynMonroe sounded like heaven tonight thanks to the brilliance of @RealHansZimmer @nbcsnl
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 6, 2014
Thanks to Fatima Robinson and @blocnyc for the kids who performed #Happy with me on @nbcsnl pic.twitter.com/omi8vT8K0l
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 6, 2014
But before he got to rock out on the Saturday Night Live stage, Pharrell Williams threw what looks like one amazing birthday party. And he proved that you can be any age and love SpongeBob SquarePants .
The UK publication, Metro , reports that Williams celebrated his 41st birthday on Friday with a SpongeBob SquarePants theme at the Bikini Bottom at Ciprani Wall Street in New York City. Squidward Tentacles, Sandy Cheeks, and Patrick all made appearances, as did Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Q-Tip, and Williams’ wife, Helen Lasichanh.
In a related story, The Inquisitr reported that Pharrell Williams will replace Cee Lo Green on the upcoming seventh season of The Voice . Producer Mark Burnett said he is “thrilled” to have Pharrell as a coach.
“Continuing in The Voice tradition of having the biggest and most current music stars as coaches, Pharrell fits perfectly,” Burnett said.
Williams had made two appearances on The Voice , prior to getting the coaching position, according to ABC News . The first was when he served as a guest mentor to Usher and his team of competitors during the fourth season. The second was when Pharrell performed “Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke in May of 2013.
Paul Telegdy, NBC’s president for alternative and late night programming, added that 2014 has been a “huge year” for Pharrell Williams.
“His dominance in record sales in 2014, coupled with his incomparable accomplishments in the world of fashion and design, make him an irresistible addition to The Voice family,” Telegdy said in a press release.