They certainly did.
single: “Get Lucky”
artist: Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
Electronic music icons Daft Punk hit the jackpot this time. And to my ears, it is quite a bit like the jackpot: random, not necessarily unearned, but could just as easily have gone to someone else.
The issue here may be how to evaluate a by-the-numbers classic disco song in the midst of the post-disco EDM era.
Pro: there’s something refreshing and straightforward about a smooth vocal (courtesy of Pharrell, in this case) gliding over a percolating, sparingly embellished dance beat, when EDM dictates abrupt halts, dramatic breakdowns, and frantic synth flourishes.
Con: it can come off as old-fashioned and two-dimensional, given the layers that today’s DJs have built on the foundation that groups like Daft Punk laid years ago. As a matter of fact, this record is quite restrained by Daft Punk’s standards, not just EDM’s.
I’m not terribly impressed with “Get Lucky,” but I’m quite happy that a duo of dance music innovators are cashing in on their own legacy.