Around the World (Daft Punk song)

"Around the World"
Single by Daft Punk
from the album Homework
Released	March 17, 1997
Format	CD 12"
Recorded	1995[1]
Genre	French house
Length	7:08 (album version) 3:58 (radio edit)
Label	Virgin
Writer(s)	Thomas Bangalter Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Producer(s)	Daft Punk
Daft Punk singles chronology
"Da Funk" (1995) "Around the World" (1997) "Burnin'" (1997)
Music sample Daft Punk - "Around The World" (LP Version) Music video "Around the World" 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 #1 in the dance charts. The song's only lyrics are "Around the World". 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".^[2]

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".^[3] 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".^[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 and Rayman Raving Rabbids 2.

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)^[4] wearing tracksuits with small prosthetic heads walking up and down stairs; four women dressed like synchronized swimmers (described by Gondry as "disco girls")^[4] 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,^[4] 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."^[7] 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."^[4]

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

• CD maxi single^[8]

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)[9]	11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10]	15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11]	15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12]	4
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13]	24
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14]	9
France (SNEP)[15]	5
Germany (Official German Charts)[16]	16
Ireland (IRMA)[17]	8
Italy (FIMI)[18]	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19]	21
Norway (VG-lista)[20]	20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21]	20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22]	14
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23]	5
US Billboard Hot 100[24]	61
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[25]	1

Alive 2007 version

Charts (2007)	Peak position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26]	47

References

1. "Daft Punk Rex Club 1995 Around the world vs Chase Moroder". Retrieved 2013-10-23.
2. "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.Com. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
3. Torres, Andre (April 2013). "Quantum Leap". Wax Poetics (55).
4. The Work of Director Michel Gondry companion book (2003)
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. "Around the World" director-file.com. Retrieved on October 17, 2006.
8. "Daft Punk - Around the World". Spanish Charts (Hung Medien). Retrieved on 21 May 2012.
9. "Australian-charts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
10. "Austriancharts.at – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
11. "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
12. "Ultratop.be – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
13. Canadian peak RPM
14. "Daft Punk: Around the World" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
15. "Lescharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
16. "Musicline.de – Daft Punk Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
17. "Chart Track: Week 14, 1997". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
18. "Italiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Daft Punk search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". VG-lista. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
21. "Swedishcharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
22. "Swisscharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
23. "Archive Chart: 1997-04-26" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
24. "Daft Punk – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Daft Punk. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
25. "Daft Punk – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Daft Punk. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
26. "Swisscharts.com – Daft Punk – Around the World (Alive 2007)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2012.

External links

• "Around the World" at Discogs
• "Around the World" music video at MTV Music