Daft Punk released “Get Lucky”

Get Lucky Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers

Writer(s): Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Nile Rodgers, Pharrell Williams (see lyrics here) Released: April 19, 2013 First Charted: April 27, 2013 Peak: 2 US, 2 RR, 18 AC, 8 A40, 29 AA, 37a RB, 5 MR, 14 UK, 2 CN, 11 AU, 4 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 1.82 UK, 11.34 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.25 radio, 1018.55 video, 1181.82 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: For the lead single for fourth album, Random Access Memories, French dance duo Daft Punk released the feel-good party song “Get Lucky.” The song was a move away from Daft Punk’s pure house music of the past to a more funk style. SF The song is “about the good fortune of connecting with someone as well as sexual chemistry.” WK It went top ten in more than 30 countries. WK On the day of release, “Get Lucky” garnered more streams on Spotify in the UK and U.S. than any other song had to that point. SF The Guardian’s Michael Cragg said “it was the best thing Pharrell Williams has been involved with for a long time” WK while Pitchfork said the song’s “real elegance lies in the hands of Nile Rodgers.” WK The New Yorker’s Sasha Frere-Jones echoed that sentiment, saying Rodgers’ performance was “as close to magic as pop comes.” WK BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac said Daft Punk weren’t making electronic dance music, but “real music to dance to.” WK PopCrush’s Amy Sciarretto said “it represents all that’s right with electronic music.” WK They reached out to Nile Rodgers, best known for his work with Chic. They met him at a listening party in New York City for their 1997 album, Homework and acknowledged his influence in their song “Around the World.” WK After a series of scheduling conflicts, they finally came together to collaborate on three songs which ended up on Random Access Memories. For “Get Lucky,” Rodgers stripped down what they’d recorded to just drums, plugged in his 1959 Fender Stratocaster, and went searching for a groove. SF He kept playing with guitar lines until, as he said, he saw “both guys smiling. Then I thought, ‘OK, I’m there.’” SF He told The Daily Telegraph, “In my way of composing, of feeling if something is grooving, it’s got to himt me in the soul.” SF He said collaborating with them makde him realize that he needed “to be in the studio with people…I just started going in with whomever I could” SF The duo met Pharrell Williams at a Madonna party and he offered his services, jokingly saying “if you just want me to play a tambourine, I’ll do it.” SF Pharrell met with the duo in Paris and shared of his material that coincidentally was inspired by Rodgers, unaware they were already working with him. SF They looked at each other and then played a clip of the riff Rodgers had already given them. Williams jokingly refers to the duo as “the robots,” talking about them as if they came from another planet, but marveling at their ability to write “human” music. SF Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Daft Punk DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Pharrell Williams DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Nile Rodgers SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Last updated 7/23/2023.