PHARRELL WILLIAMS told a jury Wednesday that he was trying to evoke the feel of Marvin Gaye’s music but did not copy the late singer’s work when he crafted the 2013 hit “Blurred Lines.”

Williams said he grew up listening to Gaye’s music and was familiar with his song “Got to Give It Up,” but did not use it as a basis for “Blurred Lines,” which was a hit for him and collaborators Robin Thicke and T.I.

“He’s one of the ones we look up to,” Williams said.

Williams, Thicke and T.I. are being sued by Gaye’s children who claim “Blurred Lines” infringes their father’s copyrights for 1977’s “Got to Give It Up,” but Williams’ testimony is crucial because he wrote the song’s music and most of its lyrics. Although Thicke received a songwriting credit on the song, he acknowledged earlier in the trial that he didn’t do much work on the song.

T.I.’s rap track was added later, and Williams said he wasn’t involved in its inclusion in “Blurred Lines,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, is expected to be among the case’s final witnesses Thursday.

Williams spent more than an hour describing how he crafted “Blurred Lines” in mid-2012 in between working on tracks with Miley Cyrus and rapper Earl Sweatshirt. Thicke arrived after the music and lyrics had been written, Williams recalled. He quickly brought the singer up to speed and they began recording what would become 2013’s biggest hit song.

“Blurred Lines” has earned more than US$16 million in profits and more than US$5 million apiece for Thicke and Williams, according to testimony offered earlier in the trial.

Williams said he saw similarities between “Blurred Lines” and Gaye’s work but said that wasn’t a conscious part of his creative process.

(SD-Agencies)