Around the World (Daft Punk song)

"Around the World"
Single by Daft Punk
from the album Homework
Released 17 March 1997
Format
Recorded 1995
Genre French house
Length
  • 7:09 (album version)
  • 4:01 (radio edit)
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Daft Punk
Daft Punk singles chronology
"Indo Silver Club"
(1996)		 "Around the World"
(1997)		 "Burnin'"
(1997)
Audio sample
Daft Punk - "Around The World" (LP Version)
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Around the World" (audio) on YouTube

"Around the World" is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. The song was written by the duo and appeared on their debut album Homework in 1997 and was released as a single the same year. It became a major club hit around the world and reached number one in the dance charts. It also peaked at number one in Iceland and Italy. The song's only lyrics are the title. 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".[1]

Composition

The key hook is a steady bassline and a robotic voice singing "around the world" in continuous chains. Daft Punk recalled that the song "was like making a Chic record with a talk box and just playing the bass on the synthesizer".[2] The phrase occurs 144 times in the album version and 80 times in the radio edit. It is composed in the key of E minor.

Upon analysis of the song, Michel Gondry noted its distinctive structure: "I realized how genius and simple the music was. Only five different instruments, with very few patterns, each to create numerous possibilities of figures. Always using the repetition, and stopping just before it's too much." He also noted the similarity between the bassline of "Around the World" and that of the Chic song "Good Times".[3] In 2017, computer scientist Colin Morris analyzed 15,000 Billboard Hot 100 hits for repetitiveness, based on compression algorithms. Around the World was found to be the most repetitive of the songs analyzed.[4]

A cover version of "Around the World" was released in 2006 as "Around the World Again" by Nicky Van She and Dangerous Dan.[5] A remix of the will.i.am song "I Got It from My Mama" included a sample from "Around the World." Daft Punk did not approve use of the sample, however, and as such subsequently refused will.i.am permission to release the remix. A music video was produced with the sample included, however.[6] A song titled "Around the World" was released by rapper P.M. that contains a sample of "Around the World". Señor Coconut released a cover of "Around the World" on his 2008 album, Atom™ presents: Around the World with Señor Coconut and his Orchestra.

"Around the World" was featured in one episode of first season of MTV animated series Daria. It was also used in the video games Dance Central 3,NBA 2K13, & Rayman Raving Rabbids 2.

Critical reception

Blender put "Around the World" at 172nd place on their list of 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born. They wrote:

Accolades

Year Publisher Country Accolade Rank
2005 Blender United States "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" 172
2011 MTV Dance United Kingdom "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time"[8] 7
2013 Vibe United States "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks From The '90s That Changed The Game"[9] 1

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Music video

Michel Gondry's music video for the song features five groups of characters on a platform representing a vinyl record: four robots walking around in a circle; four tall athletes (as described by Gondry)[3] wearing tracksuits with small prosthetic heads walking up and down stairs; four women dressed like synchronized swimmers (described by Gondry as "disco girls")[3] moving up and down another set of stairs; four skeletons dancing in the center of the platform; and four mummies dancing in time with the song's drum pattern.

This is meant to be a visual representation of the song; each group of characters represents a different instrument. According to Gondry's notes,[3] the robots represent the singing voice; the physicality and small-minded rapidity of the athletes symbolizes the ascending/descending bass guitar; the femininity of the disco girls represents the high-pitched keyboard; the "itchy" skeletons dance to the guitar line; and the mummies represent the drum machine.

"Around the World" was Gondry's first attempt at bringing organized dancing to his music videos. "I was sick to see choreography being mistreated in videos like filler with fast cutting and fast editing, really shallow. I don't think choreography should be shot in close-ups."[10] The sequence, initially developed by Gondry, was further expanded and streamlined by choreographer Blanca Li. Costumes for the video were designed by Florence Fontaine, the mother of Gondry's son. The flashing lights were operated by the director's brother, Olivier "Twist" Gondry. As Michel Gondry stated, "It all came down to a family affair."[3]

Elements of the music video appear in the video for the LCD Soundsystem song "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House". The overall design has also been replicated for the Freemasons' "Rain Down Love" video.

Track listing

  • 12" single (V25D-38608)
  1. "Around the World" (radio edit) — 4:01
  2. "Around the World" (Tee's Frozen Sun mix) — 7:56
  3. "Around the World" (Motorbass Vice mix) — 6:39 (Philippe Zdar (later of Cassius) and Étienne de Crécy)
  4. "Around the World" (album version) — 7:07
  1. "Around the World" (radio edit) — 4:01
  2. "Around the World" (album version) — 7:07
  3. "Teachers" (extended mix) — 5:51
  4. "Around the World" (Motorbass Vice mix) — 6:39 (Philippe Zdar (later of Cassius) and Étienne de Crécy)

Chart positions

Original version

Charts (1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[15] 4
Canada Dance (RPM)[16] 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 24
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[18] 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 9
France (SNEP)[20] 5
Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 16
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 8
Italy (FIMI)[24] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 28
Norway (VG-lista)[27] 20
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[28] 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 14
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 5
UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[31] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[32] 61
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[33] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1997) Position
Germany (Official German Charts)[34] 88

Alive 2007 version

Charts (2007) Peak
position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 47

References

  1. ↑ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.Com. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  2. ↑ Torres, Andre (April 2013). "Quantum Leap". Wax Poetics (55).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 The Work of Director Michel Gondry companion book (2003)
  4. ↑ Colin Morris, Are Pop Lyrics Getting More Repetitive?, ThePudding
  5. ↑ "Around the World Again" at Discogs. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
  6. ↑ Daft Punk to Will.i.am: Not from my Momma The Daily Swarm. Retrieved on September 27, 2007
  7. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  8. ↑ MTV Dance Tuesday 27.12.2011
  9. ↑ "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks From The '90s That Changed The Game". Vibe. October 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Around the World" Archived October 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. director-file.com. Retrieved on October 17, 2006.
  11. ↑ "Daft Punk - Around the World" Archived August 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Spanish Charts (Hung Medien). Retrieved on 21 May 2012.
  12. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  16. ↑ "RPM Dance (Jul 21, 1997)". RPM. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  17. ↑ Canadian peak RPM
  18. ↑ "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Daft Punk: Around the World" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Daft Punk – Around the World". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (08.05.1997 - 14.05.1997)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 14, 1997". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Daft Punk" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Daft Punk – Around The World" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". VG-lista. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  30. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  31. ↑ "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (20 April 1997-26 April 1997)". officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Daft Punk Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Daft Punk Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World (Alive 2007)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
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