Music Review: Pharrell & Miley Cyrus "Come Get It Bae"

Pharrell & Miley Cyrus

Come Get It Bae

Album: Girl

Year: 2014

          Pharrell wants to every woman’s celebrity crush in the regurgitated  “Come Get It Bae.”

           In the intro, Pharrell spots a bunch of women in a group together, talking. He stands in the middle of them and announces his presence. They stop chattering and turn to him. He exclaims that he’s delighted to see them. They are all so beautiful. He mimes a fainting motion. In the background, Miley Cyrus’ “hey’s” over a deft guitar. (“You miss me?/I miss all of y'all/All of you girls standin' together like that, I can't take it.”)

            Then the deflating drums appear and Cyrus is still calling out “hey,” setting a low-grade tone.

            They eye him, questioning if it’s him or some guy who looks like Pharrell. One woman looks up for cameras and lighting equipment. He zeroes in on her and says it’s really him. He pulls up his shirt and pats his abs, saying there is nothing airbrushed about them. It’s all muscle. Then, he adds “remember that guy who “whoo’d” in “Blurred Lines” and produced it? That was me!” (“Wait a minute/Women, I can do anything you like/I can do anything you need/And I got a better body/Than the magazines you read.”)

           In the pre-chorus, a couple of the women tell him they have boyfriends. He “pshaws” and waves it away. He tells them he can fulfill their dreams he knows he’s appeared in. Their boyfriends may watch his videos and mimic his gestures but they are not him. (“None of them boys know the first thing about your fantasy/And if they tried, they can not do it just like me.”)

             Cyrus sees him on the street and comes over. She gives him a hug and says it’s about time. She adds they have some catching up to do. She sees he’s in the middle of something and it can wait.  (“I know you certainly been gone/And it's been much too long/And there's some things we need to do/So I know you need to get home.”)

          In the chorus, a barely audible Cyrus joins in as Pharrell invites the women to hang out with him. He steps onto his motorcycle and pats the seat, saying it’s for the taking. He mentions he can do tricks. But it won’t be anything too scary. He promises to not to drive too fast. (“Come get it bae/Come get it bae/Come get it bae/Come get it bae/You wanna ride it, my motorcycle/You've got a license, but you got the right to/Gonna pop a wheelie, don't try too high too/Take it easy on the clutch, cause girl I like you.”)

           The women shrug. He adds he can be nasty to them. Be the bad boy. He’ll sneer at them and show off his gold-plated teeth. He’ll ignore them and act as though they don’t exist. (“Wait a minute/I can see it the way you like/I can do anything you need/I can give you dirty looks/Like them ****** that's on TV.”)

      Pharrell and Cyrus repeat their pre-choruses.

       The chorus is sung again.

       In the bridge, Cyrus says the motorcycle isn’t working nor is his alpha male. She says he’ll approach her, hungering for her kiss. He’ll be a gentelmen and surprise everyone with how lovestruck he is. (“There comes a time, when craving will grab your wrist/You'll need a sugar fix, baby/There comes a time, and you won't believe what you'll do/When that sugar's callin' you.”)

         Pharrell says she’s just talking. She’ll be the one to cave first and tell him she loves him. (“Girl, there will come a time, this is where you wanna be/H-O-M-E, satisfaction guaranteed/And there will come a time, this is where you wanna be/Cause everything you need, you will only find in me.”)

           They both say “come get it bae” four times.

            The chorus is sung again.

            In the final section, Cyrus says “wait a minute” a couple of times.

             Pharrell’s woozy vocals flail and lose their balance, the persisent handclaps knocking him out cold. He’s concerned with being a sex symbol and it’s not really hin. It’s Robin Thicke. However, for Thicke the sex-crazed image was already there. Pharrell was able to successfully capitalize on it and mainstream it. However, it doesn’t mean he has to become a Robin Thicke impersonator.

             Cyrus’ ragged vocals drop to the bottom of the notes, never to be seen again. Like Pharrell, she’s asexual, unenthusiastic with a future encounter with him. She harmonizes during the choruses but doesn’t make an impression. There’s a tiny moment in the bridge where she registers a bit, using a higher key and then just like that it’s gone.

             The shriveled “Come Get It Bae” shows that the success of “Blurred Lines” has been both a blessing and a curse for Pharrell.