Daft Punk Announces They've Split Up After 28 Years
Turns out when Daft Punk said, “We don’t stop, you can’t stop,” they weren’t being totally honest: The electronic dance music duo just announced that they’re splitting up.
In a nearly eight-minute video titled “Epilogue,” excerpted from their 2006 film “Electroma,” the French pair walk their separate ways on a flat terrain, wearing metallic motorcycle hats and jackets that read “Daft Punk.” A timer ticks in the background and grows louder and louder, counting down until it hits zero. One of the members explodes and the dates “1993 - 2021” appear on-screen, indicating the year Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed the band.
Despite the video’s vagueness, the band’s longtime publicist, Kathryn Frazier, confirmed to Pitchfork on Monday that the duo is in fact splitting up, but she gave no reason for the breakup.
Fans of the band will remember their earworm hits such as “One More Time,” “Around the World,” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” as well as their iconic robot-esque outfits. They’ve racked up many Grammy Awards over the years, including several for their 2013 album, “Random Access Memories.” The lead single on that album, “Get Lucky,” which features Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, won them two Grammys alone, while the album itself won Album of the Year and Best Dance/Electronic Album.
Other highlights in the band’s career include composing the score for “Tron: Legacy,” a stint headlining the music festival Coachella, co-producing several tracks on Kanye West’s “Yeezus,″ and multiple collaborations with The Weeknd.
Upon news of the split, many fans couldn’t help but share how they would not be celebrating, just one more time:
Daft Punk is.... breaking up? It's truly the end of an era. I love you guys. Thank you for being an entrance and gateway for music for me. pic.twitter.com/G3w6oYy7BZ
— Psycho The Thread Lad (Like Limit) (@LadPsycho) February 22, 2021
WHAT!? IS DAFT PUNK ENDING???
Daft Punk uploaded for the first time on years, titled "Epilogue" and shows 1993-2021.
This could both mean new music, a compilation, a tour or... that they are saying goodbye.. #DaftPunk #Epilogue pic.twitter.com/2yIyIv1JLE— Dani (@ItsDaniPlays) February 22, 2021
Daft Punk have just announced they have officially called it quits after 28 years.
Genuine sadness. These guys will be musical legends forever. pic.twitter.com/7CDysJdd6L— Jon (@MrDalekJD) February 22, 2021
I was so excited to see daft punk post a new video.
But I wasn't getting excited to see this.
Fuck, I'm gonna miss them. pic.twitter.com/BMPcuuDmKg— Just another brick in the machine (@ACogInTheWall) February 22, 2021
Me watching the new daft punk video: pic.twitter.com/m5BFextsNg
— Victor (@victorfwsmusic) February 22, 2021
Daft Punk just posted this - I'm crying pic.twitter.com/mRIYlWvk0K
— ポーンキ 💫 (@pawnki) February 22, 2021
Please don’t tell me Daft Punk is retiring 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/GWCsIXgfka
— Kyle (@CollegiateKyle) February 22, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.