Pharrell's 24 Hours of "Happy" Video

Pharrell William's "Happy" is spending its second week at #1, but have you seen its 24 hour music video? The online project claims to be the first long-form music video of its kind and consists of 4-minute uncut video segments of people dancing and jamming to the song. What time of day you log on determines what segment you'll get, though it allows you to select the time of day you wish to see or to jump to the next or previous portions. The website was added with the release of the single on November 21, 2013.

Several of those featured are obviously dancers, but a wide selection of people were chosen, including children and the minions from Despicable Me 2, which soundtrack featured the song. We follow these individuals through different parts of Los Angeles, such as sidewalks, a school bus, a church, a grocery store, Union Station, etc. Segments are divided by hidden cuts and are candid, with honest reactions from bystanders who sometimes decide to join in the fun.

A few celebrities are sighted in the video, including Whit Hertford (1:04 a.m.), Kelly Osbourne (1:28 a.m.), Magic Johnson (5:36 a.m.), Urijah Faber (8:36 a.m.), Sérgio Mendes (10:32 a.m.), Jimmy Kimmel (11:48 a.m.), Odd Future (1:48 p.m.), Steve Carell (5:08 p.m.), Jamie Foxx (5:28 p.m.), Ana Ortiz (5:32 p.m.), Miranda Cosgrove (5:40 p.m.), and Tyler, The Creator, and JoJo (6:16 p.m.). Pharrell appears every hour, on the hour.

The decision to make a 24 hour video for this song, in particular, is genius! It is my opinion that a good music video (or remix) adds to or reinterprets the meaning of the song, and this vid does just that. I thought the idea of a 24 hour video was cool, but it wasn't until I saw the segments of grocery shopping -- people doing what people need to do -- that I understood the intention behind it that no matter what time of day it is, no matter what you have to do in life, you can be happy -- you can choose to be happy and make life happy. Don't let things bring you down. Isn't happiness the point of life and everything we do? If not, then why are we striving for anything? Living mundane, or below par, will not save us. "Happiness is the truth," and we shouldn't let barriers get in our way of obtaining that. In all, the joyful video succeeds to bring out the "Happy."

The lengthy vid was edited down to create the official video, of course. The Oscar-nominated "Happy" acts as lead single to Pharrell's new album G I R L, released Monday, March 3.

See what's going on at your time of day and get some "Happy" at 24hoursofhappy.com.