Pharrell Williams is one of the great architects of postmodern pop and hip-hop. He bent futuristic beats like his contemporary Timbaland as part of the unassailable Neptunes production duo with Chad Hugo, sang goofy hooks that opened the door to stranger rap tunes, and the diminished chords favored by the prog- and -jazz-loving N.E.R.D. played a major part in Tyler, the Creator's musical development.

Plus he scored some major hits of his own around the early 2010s for better or worse: the irreparably controversial "Blurred Lines" with Robin Thicke and T.I., Daft Punk's intergalactic disco anthem "Get Lucky," and the gospel-inspired smash "Happy," to which he owes no one but his damn self.

Those are probably not why French President Emmanuel Macron has knighted him with France's highest honor, the Légion d'Honneur, though. Williams is the creative director for Louis Vuitton, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh as of 2023, and oversees Paris Fashion Week. So he spends a lot of time over there.

The ceremony took place in the Winter Garden of the Élysée Palace and was attended by fellow big-time artists like Future and Pusha T, as well as Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault. Vanity Fair reported that Macron praised Williams his "rare ability to turn the wildest ideas into reality," which is certainly true of his beats. The two men aren't strangers, as Macron once took a photo of Pharrell with Blackpink in 2023. Macron even took a dig at Trump by stating that Pharrell could be on his Board of Peace:

"It is a great honor to have you here. Especially in this special week which was very demanding for the relationship between France and the U.S. Dear Pharrell, you are by yourself our personal Board of Peace, because you always bring peace, solace, and hope in France, in America, in the whole world, wherever your music is heard."