Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the 2013 film Despicable Me 2; the sequel to Despicable Me (2010). The album was released on July 2, 2013, through Back Lot Music.[2][3] The original music was composed by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams, who previously scored for Despicable Me.[4] The soundtrack to the film featured 24 tracks – eight songs and the remainder of the album, consists of original score tracks. Out of the eight songs, three original tracks, written by Williams, were featured in the album as well as the tracks "Another Irish Drinking Song", "I Swear" and "Y.M.C.A." were incorporated into the album. Besides that, two tracks from Despicable Me: "Fun, Fun, Fun" and the titular track is also featured in the soundtrack.[4]
The track "Happy" served as the only single from the album released on November 21, 2013, by Back Lot Music, and was also part of Williams' second studio album Girl (2014).[5] A visual presentation of the track, being advertised as "the world's first 24-hour music video" coincided the single, featuring Williams and directed by We Are from LA, and went viral upon release. Besides, topping the charts in over 19 countries, it was the best-selling song of 2014 in the United States and United Kingdom.[6][7] The song also received an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards, but lost the award to "Let It Go" from Frozen.[8] Eight years after the single release, the track "Just a Cloud Away" was released in March 2022.[9]