After 28 Years Together, Daft Punk Has Broken Up

Sad news for fans of electronic dance music everywhere, as the French DJ and production duo Daft Punk has officially called it quits.

The band shared the news via a YouTube video posted to their social media which is very typical of the pair in that it doesn’t feature their faces, their speaking voices, and it’s rather cryptic. The clip sees the two humanoid robots meeting in the desert, parting from one another, and then one of them exploding, seemingly ending the partnership for good. 

While the video itself could be interpreted many ways, it was titled “Epilogue,” and a representative for the pair confirmed the split to Pitchfork. Sadly, no reason for the parting of ways was given, nor any update on what the notoriously private musicians will do next.

One of the most respected, successful and mysterious names in the electronic music space, Daft Punk spent years as one of the hottest commodities in that genre before breaking through and enjoying incredible mainstream success with their last album and more recent collaborations.

The duo, composed of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter (though they always appeared in complete robot garb whenever performing) partnered with one another in 1993 and four years later released their debut album Homework. That set catapulted them to fame, first in the dance field, and then outside of it thanks to hits like “Around the World” and “Da Funk.” 

Four years later they returned with Discovery, which would again help them hit new highs. Lead single “One More Time” was a massive success all around the world, as was "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” while other tracks like “Aerodynamic” and “Digital Love” rounded out the collection.

Another four years would pass before they returned with their third set, Human After All, which produced even more singles that are still remembered well to this day, like “Robot Rock” and “Technologic,” which became something of a global sensation after being featured in an Apple advertisement.

Eight years went by before Daft Punk released their fourth, and what turned out to be their last, album, Random Access Memories. Thankfully, it was well worth the wait, as the duo transcended electronic music and reached the top of all-genre charts everywhere. The CD was their first No. 1 in many places, including the U.S., and it was bolstered by the unstoppable “Get Lucky,” which credited Pharrell Williams as the vocalist. The tune became their first top 10 hit on the Hot 100, and while it ended up being the only major smash from the full-length, the project was heralded by critics and fans as one of the best pop/dance efforts in a long time.

Following their chart-topping success with “Get Lucky” and Random Access Memories, Daft Punk found mainstream favor once again by partnering with The Weeknd for not one, but two singles featured on his album Starboy, and both of them became major hits. The pairing of Daft Punk and the Canadian R&B/pop star produced first “Starboy” and then “I Feel It Coming,” which were both performed recently during the Super Bowl halftime show. “Starboy” went to No. 1 on the Hot 100, giving The Weeknd another leader and Daft Punk their first ruler, and “I Feel It Coming” rose to No. 4, granting the duo their third placement in the region in the U.S.

Years before working with The Weeknd, Daft Punk enjoyed a boost in popularity after Kanye West sampled their song “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and introduced it to millions as his song “Stronger,” which itself went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 and earned the rapper the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance (as they weren’t officially credited as featured artists on the tune).

Throughout their time together, Daft Punk earned a dozen Grammy nominations and won half of them, including two of the four major categories. After losing their first five times being up for music’s biggest honor, the band collected two prizes in 2008 for Best Dance Recording (“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”) and Best Electronic/Dance Album (Alive 2007). They’d add four more golden gramophones to their collection in 2013, taking home Best Electronic/Dance Album and Album of the year for Random Access Memories and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance and Record of the Year for “Get Lucky.”