The Chainsmokers had a huge hit with their Halsey collab, “Closer,” but thanks to Daft Punk and The Weeknd that reign could very well be over soon. Their surprise release, “Starboy,” the title track off of The Weeknd’s sophomore album, is an undeniable hit. In fact the only hook caught in my head now is “I’m a mothaf*ckin starboy,” and I imagine it will remain that way for quite some time moving forward despite the ear-worm nature of “Closer.”
Do note, this isn’t intended to disparage The Chainsmokers in any way. The fact that the DJ duo behind the American Idol #SELFIE affair could pull a complete 180 and retain the #1 song in the world for 5 weeks is incredible in of itself; and the song is the absolute bee’s knees. However competing with an artist who trends anytime he does anything (The Weeknd), and the return of Daft Punk, who have been silent for 3 years, is not only difficult… it’s relatively impossible.
While these songs themselves shouldn’t be compared side-by-side, as they’re two very different releases, it’s important to note the contrast between the love-song approach of The Chainsmokers as opposed to the darker, more aggressive hip/hop vibes of The Weeknd & Daft Punk’s track. How that plays out for the success of the record remains to be seen, but Daft Punk have never had a #1 on Billboard, with their closest attempt being a #2 with “Get Lucky.” This new track is perhaps even more radio friendly than that release, so we could be seeing history in the making here.
Check them both out below and rejoice in the fact that we’ve been treated to such fantastic music in 2016. Now if only Swedish House Mafia would come back…
