Pharrell Williams has announced his latest project, a solo album titled ‘G I R L,’ will drop worldwide on March 3.

The album will be led by his hit single “Happy,” which was originally written for the movie Despicable Me 2.

“When Columbia Records presented me with the opportunity to make an album, three things came to mind. One was the sense of overwhelming honor that I felt when I realized that they were interested in partnering with me on the album that I had always dreamt of making. Two, it would have to feel festive and urgent. And three, I instantly knew it would be called ‘G I R L’.” Pharrell said in a statement announcing the album. He closed the statement with: “I hope you like it.”

Pharrell has built a strong reputation for himself as a collaborator in recent years. He was featured on the two most popular singles of 2013, Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk‘s “Get Lucky.” This will be his first solo album since for almost a decade, since his 2006 release “In My Mind.” The album featured the hit singles “Can I Have It Like That (Ft. Gwen Stefani)” and “That Girl (Ft Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson).”

Industry analysts will be watching his album sales closely, since the near release date signals the continued decline of the long album rollout that was once traditional in the industty. Beyonce dropped her last album with no notice at all, Magan Carter Holy Grail by Jay Z and Yeezus by Kanye West were both announced just two weeks before they were released, so it will be interesting to see if Phrarrell can match his prior successes without a long album rollout.

Pharrell is expected to perform “Happy” at the 86th annual Academy Awards this year. The song is the lead single from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, which is nominated for an Oscar. “Happy” is also No. 2 on the Billboard Singles Chart this week, and has already been downloaded 2.4 million times worldwide.

Check out the ‘G I R L’ album trailer below: