"Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger (Alive 2007)" | ||||
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Single by Daft Punk | ||||
from the album Alive 2007 | ||||
Released | 15 October 2007 | |||
Recorded | 14 June 2007 | |||
Genre | House | |||
Length | 4:43 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Daft Punk | |||
Daft Punk singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger (Alive 2007)" on YouTube |
"Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" is a song by French duo Daft Punk,released on 13 October 2001 as the fourth single from their second studio album Discovery . A live version of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" was released as a single from the album Alive 2007 on 15 October 2007. [1] [2] This version won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2009. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 132 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". [3]
"Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" is built around a "bouncy" keyboard riff sampled from the 1979 track "Cola Bottle Baby" by the funk musician Edwin Birdsong. [4] In 2016,Birdsong said:"I recorded ['Cola Bottle Baby'] 30 years ago,and here come some guys from France. I asked them,'Where did you find the music?' And they said,'I was going through bins and it popped out.' ... I'm blessed and I continue to be blessed by opening my arms to God every day." [4] The track also features vocoded vocals. [5] It is set in the key of F♯ minor. [6]
In 2016,Daniel Jeakins wrote for HuffPost :"For all the gifts electronic deities Daft Punk have bestowed upon pop music,no track feels quite as iconic or ingenious as 'Harder Better Faster Stronger' ... Fifteen years on from its release and it’s hard to think of a dance track that’s as prominent in popular culture or influential to modern electronic music." [5] In 2021, Billboard ranked the song number two on its list of the 20 greatest Daft Punk songs. [7]
The animated music video for "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" was produced by Daft Punk and directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi,director for Toei Animation,under the supervision of Leiji Matsumoto. It features the four alien characters shown on the single cover in a vast electronic facility. There,they are cosmetically changed by various machines to resemble humans,and have their memories replaced. The video was first released as an individual episode in promotion for the single release. It later appeared as a scene in the feature film Interstella 5555:The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem .
A music video for the live version of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" was directed by Olivier Gondry. It contains footage shot by the audience on 250 cameras at Daft Punk's Brooklyn performance in KeySpan Park (now called Maimonides Park) in Coney Island. The video was inspired by the Beastie Boys concert film Awesome;I Fuckin' Shot That! . [1] The video had its world premiere online on 26 October 2007,at Webcastr. [8]
A live version of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" was recorded at Bercy in Paris from 14 June 2007. It was released as a download single on 15 October 2007,for the live album Alive 2007 . [2] The track also contains a part of the "Television Rules the Nation / Crescendolls" segment of the Bercy performance that features elements of the songs "Around the World","Steam Machine","Television Rules the Nation". [9] This version of the song won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards. [10]
Diplo released a remix of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" titled "Work Is Never Over". It appeared in his compilation album Decent Work for Decent Pay . The title of the song was also parodied in an episode of The Cleveland Show called '"Harder,Better,Faster,Browner",which was a part of season two. Neil Cicierega used the "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" instrumental,along with Smash Mouth's songs "Walkin' on the Sun" and "All Star",for the mashup "Daft Mouth" as part of Cicierega's Mouth Sounds album.
Philippe Uminski of the band Circus released a cover version of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" in 2004. [11] Mike Tompkins released an a cappella version of the song in May 2012. [12]
Kanye West's song "Stronger" from the album Graduation prominently features a sample of "Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger". Two actors who wore the robotic Daft Punk costumes in the film Daft Punk's Electroma appear in the music video for "Stronger". [1] It was performed live at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards with Daft Punk in their trademark pyramid while West was on stage rapping. [13] Daft Punk member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo said that "Stronger" was "not a collaboration in the studio,but the vibe of the music we do separately connected in what [West] did with the song". [14] He later clarified that the live version was "truly a collaboration from the start. We really did it all hand in hand." [15]
Norwegian YouTube singer Per Fredrik Pellek Asly,or "PelleK",released a power metal version of the song in July 2013. [16] Steam Powered Giraffe covered the song in May 2014. [17]
"Harder,Better,Faster,Stronger" is featured in the 2007 YouTube viral video Daft Hands,which shows a pair of hands moving to reveal each word of the song's lyrics. [18] [19] The video was performed by Austin Hall,who later appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . [20] In 2010, Time magazine included Daft Hands in a list of "YouTube's 50 Best Videos". [21] The video inspired numerous remakes including the variant Daft Bodies;both videos,along with other viral videos,were referenced in Weezer's "Pork and Beans" music video. [20] [22]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" | 3:43 | |
2. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (Breakers Break remix) | Dominique Torti | 4:38 |
3. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (The Neptunes remix) | 5:12 | |
4. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (Pete Heller's stylus mix) | 9:14 | |
Total length: | 22:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)" (radio edit) | 3:34 |
2. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)" (extended) | 4:43 |
3. | "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)" (video) | 3:25 |
Total length: | 11:42 |
Original version
| 2007 live versionWeekly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved early popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop. They are regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music.
Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings. It was released in the US on 25 March 1997.
Discovery is the second studio album by the former French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 12 March 2001 by Virgin Records. It marked a shift from the Chicago house of their first album, Homework (1997), to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk described Discovery as an exploration of song structures, musical forms and childhood nostalgia, compared to the "raw" electronic music of Homework.
Daft Club is the first remix album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 1 December 2003 by Virgin Records. The album features numerous remixes of tracks from their second album, Discovery (2001), and one from their debut, Homework (1997).
Human After All is the third studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released on 14 March 2005 through Virgin Records. Unlike their previous studio album Discovery (2001), whose sound was inspired by disco and garage house and produced over the period of two years, Human After All was more minimalistic and improvisational with a mixture of heavier guitars and electronics, and was produced in six weeks.
"Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" is the fifth single from LCD Soundsystem, released on February 21, 2005. The accompanying music video paid tongue-in-cheek homage to Spike Jonze's and Michel Gondry's music videos for Daft Punk's "Da Funk" and "Around the World", respectively. The track reached number one on the UK Dance Chart and number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Digital Love" is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It was released as the third single from their second album, Discovery, on 11 June 2001. It reached number 33 in France, number 28 in Italy, and number 14 in the United Kingdom. The song appears in the 2003 film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
"Aerodynamic" is an instrumental track by French duo Daft Punk, featuring a prominent guitar solo. The track was released on 28 March 2001 as the second single from the Discovery album. "Aerodynamic" hit the U.S. dance charts through club play as the B-side to "Digital Love".
"Around the World" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It was written by the duo and released in April 1997 by Virgin as the second single from their debut studio album, Homework (1997). The song became a major club hit globally and reached number one on the dance charts in Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also peaked at number one in Iceland and Italy. The song's lyrics solely consist of the words "around the world", repeated on loop for a total of 144 times in the album version. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry and choreographed by Blanca Li. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 21 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
French electronic music duo Daft Punk released four studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, five remix albums, two video albums, twenty-two singles and nineteen music videos. Group members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met in 1987 while studying at the Lycée Carnot secondary school. They subsequently recorded several demo tracks together, forming Daft Punk in 1993. Their debut single "The New Wave" was released the following year on the Soma Quality Recordings label. Daft Punk first found commercial success with the release of their second single "Da Funk", which peaked at number seven in France and topped the United States Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"Stronger" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song was produced by West, with an extended outro handled by Mike Dean. It was written by West and Daft Punk were credited as co-writers due to their work being sampled, while Edwin Birdsong also received a credit from a master use of "Cola Bottle Baby". West decided to sample "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" after first hearing the duo's work when touring in 2006, then made the beat and spent months re-writing his verses. The song's production process was arduous, with various engineers and 75 different mixes, even having the drum programming redone with Timbaland after its release. Daft Punk voiced their approval of the song, finding West made the sample suitable for his personality as he ventured outside of hip hop.
Alive 2007 is the second live album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 19 November 2007 by Virgin Records. It features Daft Punk's performance at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy arena in Paris on 14 June 2007 during their Alive tour. The set features an assortment of Daft Punk's music, incorporated with synthesisers, mixers and live effects.
Tron: Legacy is the soundtrack album to the 2010 film of the same name, released by Walt Disney Records on December 3, 2010. It is the only film score by French music duo Daft Punk.
"One More Time" is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Discovery (2001), on 13 November 2000. It was shipped to radio in January 2001. It is a French house song featuring an auto-tuned vocal performance by Romanthony and a sample of "More Spell on You" by Eddie Johns. The music video forms part of the 2003 anime film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. "One More Time" reached number one on the French Singles Chart, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Professional Griefers" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 featuring vocals by American singer Gerard Way. The song was released as the third single from his sixth studio album Album Title Goes Here. The song is featured in the game FIFA 13 and its soundtrack. The song used to be featured in the game Asphalt 8: Airborne in the electronica playlist. The song was also featured briefly in season one episode five of the hit TV show Arrow.
Random Access Memories is the fourth and final studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 through Columbia Records. It pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles. This theme is reflected in the packaging and promotional campaign, which included billboards, television advertisements and a web series. Recording sessions took place from 2008 to 2012 at Henson, Conway and Capitol Studios in California, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Gang Recording Studio in Paris, France.
"Get Lucky" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams and American musician Nile Rodgers. Daft Punk released the song as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album, Random Access Memories, on 19 April 2013. Before its release as a single, it was featured in television advertisements broadcast during Saturday Night Live, after which Rodgers and Williams announced their involvement in the track. "Get Lucky" is a house-inspired disco, funk, and pop track with lyrics that, according to Williams, are about the good fortune of connecting with someone, as well as sexual chemistry. Upon release, it received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised Williams's vocals and Rodgers's guitar riffs.
"Lose Yourself to Dance" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams. Like their previous collaboration with fellow American musician Nile Rodgers, "Get Lucky", the song was written for Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013).
"Give Life Back to Music" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. It is the opening track on the album. The song features lyrics performed by Daft Punk using vocoders. "Give Life Back to Music" also features album collaborators Nile Rodgers on guitar and Chilly Gonzales on keyboards. The song includes guitar work by Paul Jackson, Jr. and additional keyboards by Chris Caswell, with drums by John "J.R." Robinson and bass by Nathan East. The song was distributed to radio stations on 31 January 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the final single from the album in 2014. Before this, it charted in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
"Instant Crush" is a song written, produced, and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American musician Julian Casablancas. It was released as the fourth single from Daft Punk's fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013), on 22 November 2013. It was number 58 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Best Songs of 2013 list.