#TBT 2010: Pharrell Explains Origins of N.E.R.D's 'Nothing' LP, Shades Microwave Food

While it doesn't seem possible, the ageless Pharrell Williams is celebrating his 45th birthday today. The multitalented singer, rapper and producer boasts a laundry list of accomplishments, but for this week's #TBT episode, we're spotlighting the Virginia native's 2010 project with N.E.R.D, Nothing.

The band's fourth studio album, Nothing was originally named Instant Gratification due to what Williams called "the microwave era."

"People want what they want now. The problem is that once we made the music, it was good—just like microwave food. But microwave food isn't good enough, so we wanted to do something with great textures that you could drive to, that you could dance to, that women could feel super sexy to," he explains.