Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’ marks 26 years since the track introduced a new era for the duo ahead of the release of their ‘Discovery’ album

Daft Punk released One More Time on November 13, 2000, several months before Discovery introduced one of the most important periods of the duo’s career. Featuring vocals from Romanthony, the single paired French house production with disco influences as Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo prepared to take their music in a different direction. Twenty-six years later, One More Time remains closely tied to both the album that followed and the wider rise of French touch around the world.

One More Time Opened a New Chapter for Daft Punk

By the time One More Time was released, Daft Punk were already internationally known through their 1997 debut album Homework and tracks including Around the World and Da Funk. Discovery introduced more melody, disco, pop and processed vocals while keeping the house foundations that had already established the duo.

As the album’s first single, One More Time gave listeners an early look at that change before Discovery followed in March 2001. The album went on to include Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, Digital Love, Something About Us and Face to Face, with One More Time opening the record and introducing this period of Daft Punk’s music.

The Sample and Voice Behind One More Time

Part of the track’s foundation comes from Eddie Johns’ 1979 recording More Spell on You, with Daft Punk reworking elements of the song into the looping horn section heard throughout One More Time. That disco influence became an important part of Discovery, connecting the album to music that had long influenced Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.

Romanthony’s vocals became just as important to the final record. Auto-Tune was used deliberately as part of the production, giving his performance a processed quality that became inseparable from the song itself.

The track also emerged during a period when Cassius, Stardust, Alan Braxe, DJ Falcon and other French producers were taking house music to increasingly wider audiences. One More Time became one of the most internationally recognised records from that movement, carrying French touch well beyond the clubs and labels where it had developed during the 1990s.

Twenty-Six Years Later, Discovery Continues to Reach New Listeners

The anniversary comes during another strong period for Daft Punk’s catalogue. One More Time surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams in November 2026, while Discovery passed 3 billion streams on the platform earlier this year. Those milestones come more than two decades after the album’s release and five years after Daft Punk ended the duo in 2021.

Streaming has introduced Discovery to another generation, while songs from the album have remained present across club sets, radio and electronic music long after their original release. Twenty-six years on, One More Time still stands as one of the records most closely associated with Daft Punk and the period that changed the direction of their music.