Breakups are never easy. They’re even harder when you add more people in the equation — so when Daft Punk recently announced their split at the end of their acclaimed music career, you can imagine that the global audience captivated by their sound was rightfully heartbroken.
To me, and to many fans of the house and dance genres, Daft Punk were the most recognizable figures in an otherwise fairly underground scene. Their critical and commercial fame never affected their quality of music, however. With only four studio albums over a 28-year span, they never went corporate and churned out releases like other artists. Instead, they took their time and released masterpieces.
Together, they took home six Grammy awards, but beyond that, they left a lasting legacy in the industry, with Scarborough’s own The Weeknd heaping praise on their work, and even collaborating with them on two tracks for his album, Starboy. Kanye West also collaborated with them heavily on the album Yeezus.
I could spend all day discussing and debating the influence of Daft Punk on the music scene today. That’s how much they have meant to me throughout my life. For a group that relies less on wordplay and more on the rhythm of their music, Daft Punk left a profound impact on my tastes — and helped an otherwise shy person feel more comfortable in their own interests.
Music has always been a huge part of my life: over the years, I’ve consumed a lot of records spanning tons of genres. Daft Punk is one group that has consistently dominated my playlists, with one of my most-played albums of all time being their 2013 release, Random Access Memories — an homage to the sound of ’70s and ’80s music — in which they shifted from the drowning beats of dance to a more sophisticated form of pop and soft rock.
Part of me always identified with the modesty of the public persona Daft Punk carried. The glamour of their live shows always contrasted with their hidden identities. As someone who struggles to open up to others, I always found comfort in the fact that Daft Punk could conceal the intimacy of their identity while still captivating millions and engaging audiences for decades. I saw myself in not only the music, but the maestros behind it.
Over time, I matured and found ways to start overcoming my anxiety. In a lot of ways, Daft Punk’s breakup coincided almost exactly with a time in my life when, for once, I felt comfortable around new people and became confident in myself — a huge progression that couldn’t have been possible without their influence. I was able to express myself in creative ways and was more open about my own beliefs and opinions because I drew inspiration from the many artists I admired who tackled their own issues and did the same.
So, when I opened Instagram on February 22 and discovered that Daft Punk had decided to split up, I was shocked at first. Sometimes, you open up Instagram and your day is instantly ruined, and that was one of those days. I didn’t exactly know how to feel; after all, it had been a long time since their last non-feature release, yet I felt their story wasn’t finished.
Eventually, I came to realize that not all stories need a planned ending. Nature itself is quite abrupt, and if the entropy of the universe decided that Daft Punk was a star ready to fade out in the midst of an ever-growing industry, so be it. In the end, I’ll cherish the classics Daft Punk gave me, I’ll be sure to bump Homework on repeat during gruelling study sessions, and One More Time will always be the first song up in my workout playlists.
