“Relevance is a drug,” says LEGO Pharrell. The third act of Piece by Piece sees Williams floundering in his music career, treating his songs and brands as strategic advertisements rather than natural creative expressions in an effort to hold onto a dwindling audience. What’s the line between a unique personal brand and a branded existence made up of curated digestible pieces? It’s a conundrum that every creative faces as they advance in their career, now more than ever in the age of social media. It’s so easy to get swept up in the trends and the attention while the art suffers. You could argue that Piece by Piece is a clear money grab, and falls into the same trap Pharrell cautions against in the film: pursuing projects for the sake of relevance and revenue, not creative purity. But that doesn’t matter when you’re in the theater bobbing along to “Grindin’” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” What Piece by Piece lacks in substance, it makes up for in style and nostalgia. Plus, Pharrell (and director Neville) seems to understand the contradictions on display and leans into them.
