Williams provided vocals for French electronic duo Daft Punk's 2013 album Random Access Memories.

[4][1] Interviewed by Zane Lowe backstage at the 2014 Brit Awards, Williams specified that the capitalization and double-spacing of the album title is deliberately designed, "Because when you look at it, it looks a little weird... Because society is a little unbalanced."

[7] The album's first single, "Happy", is a neo soul and funk song that Williams sings in a falsetto tone.

[8] "Come Get It Bae", which features uncredited guest vocals from Miley Cyrus, is a funk song with playful beat.

Guest appearances included Magic Johnson, Steve Carell, Jimmy Kimmel, Jamie Foxx, Odd Future, Miranda Cosgrove, Janelle Monáe and many others.

[15] In an interview with New York radio station Power 105.1, Williams revealed that the album's second single would be "Marilyn Monroe".

[18] "Gust of Wind" was released to Italian contemporary hit radio on October 24, 2014, as the album's fourth single.

It doesn't sound out of place in a set of upbeat, candy-coated pop-R&B that is relatively modern-sounding, laced with some elements of R&B from the mid- to late '60s and that sweet late-'70s to early-'80s spot."

"[32] Reed Jackson of XXL gave the album an XL rating, saying "Girl not only represents a proper representation of his creativity, but, with high-profile guest spots (Timberlake, Cyrus, Daft Punk) and a number of radio-ready singles, it should also be a success on the charts and further his reputation as a pop icon.

"[34] Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine gave the album three out of five stars, saying "As Williams tells it, the Despicable Me 2 team made him go through eight drafts before he arrived at the disarming, first-person charm of "Happy".

"[35] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy categorized the album's overall sound as "uplifting R&B-funk" and gave the album four out of five stars, saying "The Motown-funk sound that dominates most of Girl was always going to be a given after the success of "Get Lucky" and "Blurred Lines", but what is surprising is its lyrical content, which is celebratory of women's power and sexuality, unlike his Robin Thicke collaboration.

[37] With first-week sales of over 70,000 copies, it was the fastest-selling album of 2014 in the UK at the time of its release, overtaking Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes by 45% and being certified silver.