On Random Access Memories, Daft Punk collaborated with everyone from Pharrell to Panda Bear. My favorite is “Instant Crush” with Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. Mind you, it didn’t have the same distinct Daft Punk electronic feel or the same distortion-soaked Strokes sound, but it balanced the two worlds rather well. Casablancas wrote the lyrics, sang them and played guitar—and behind it all were the steady, prodding Daft Punk electric jolts and hooks.
“The summer memory that just never dies. We worked too long and hard to give it no time.”
Once in a while, a song of epic proportions comes along. And when we hear it, we know we won’t come across anything else this good again for quite a while. “Under Pressure” is one of those songs. In most collaborations, inevitably one artist’s form or style will dominate the other. What makes “Under Pressure” a rarity is that it’s 100% Queen and 100% Bowie at the same time. It’s two divergent classic rock powerhouses going back and forth, without stepping on each other’s toes. Flawlessly composed, performed and produced.
“Because love’s such an old-fashioned word. And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night. And love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves. This is our last dance. This is ourselves under pressure.”
