IB tease: Pharrell

LUCK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT: In his just-posted new column, HITS’ industry insider I.B. Bad notes that one beneficiary of Daft Punk’s breakthrough is Pharrell Williams. The multi-talented veteran appears to be on the verge of finally becoming the big star that many believed he could be years ago, the dual result of his lead vocal appearance on “Get Lucky,” which he also co-wrote and co-produced, and on Robin Thicke’s concurrently breaking “Blurred Lines,” which Williams wrote, produced and appears on. Belatedly or not, Williams (who’s managed by Ron Laffitte) is on the verge of having his most significant career moment. He was signed to Columbia by Chairman Rob Stringer and President Ashley Newton, the same team that signed DP, and is working on a solo album for the label. Chances are, it won’t be long before the former N.E.R.D. leader is selling records under his own name. In the meantime, Williams will undoubtedly get further attention on July 4 weekend with the opening of Despicable Me 2, for which he did the music with Heitor Pereira. Here’s “Happy,” one of the songs from the movie. (5/23a)