Album: GIRL Artist: Pharrell Williams (Black Lot Music/Sony)

Apparently bored after a 2013 that included globe-mocking success with Frank Ocean, Robin Thicke and Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams returns to his own career. Like Bowie, he oozes otherworldliness, a coolest-man-in-the-biz presence. In the clever, breezy Brand New (with Justin Timberlake) and the springy bounce of Hunter, his retro-cheerful soul sounds absolutely of the moment. The outlandishly cheery Happy from Despicable Me 2 and the trademark stringy, skippy, vocal-syncopation production touches are equal sides of the musical persona. Gust of Wind overdoes it and Lost Queen feels like a party trick, but GIRL reintroduces the forgotten concept of positivity — dare we say, even ‘liking girls.’ You can almost forgive him for Blurred Lines.