Alright

The harmony of 'Alright' achieves a remarkable duality: the persistent F minor tonality carries the weight of struggle and hardship in the lyrics, while the bVI-bIII-bVII motion creates an ascending, almost hopeful quality that lifts the chorus into anthem territory. The jazz voicings on the tonic chord reflect the album's broader jazz-funk aesthetic, and the avoidance of a traditional V chord keeps the harmony floating in a modal space that never fully resolves — mirroring the song's message of enduring hope rather than achieved resolution.

Pharrell Williams originally produced the instrumental in 2014, intending it for rapper Fabolous. When Kendrick Lamar heard the beat, he immediately began writing lyrics for it. However, Lamar initially felt the production didn't mesh with the jazz and funk direction of To Pimp a Butterfly. Producer Sounwave then collaborated with Terrace Martin to rework the drums, incorporating elements that better fit the album's sonic palette, which led Lamar to approve the song for inclusion.

Released as the fourth single from To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), "Alright" fuses Pharrell Williams' jazz-funk production with Kendrick Lamar's incisive lyricism to create a defiant message of hope. The song transcended music to become a protest anthem, chanted at demonstrations across the United States, and was named the best song of the 2010s by Pitchfork.