Claim: Daft Punk is a duo.

`` Starboy '' is a song recorded by Canadian singer The Weeknd for his third studio album of the same name . It features French electronic duo Daft Punk and was written by the trio alongside Doc McKinney , Henry Walter and Jason Quenneville , being produced by Daft Punk and co-produced by The Weeknd , McKinney and Cirkut . It was released as the first single from the album on September 22 , 2016 , by XO and Republic Records . It is an R&B and electropop song with lyrics that contain themes of extravagance of a celebrity life .   `` Starboy '' topped the charts in countries such as Canada , France , Netherlands , New Zealand and Sweden , as well as the US Billboard Hot 100 , where it became The Weeknd 's third chart-topper , and Daft Punk 's first chart-topper . The music video for the song was directed by frequent collaborator Grant Singer , who directed The Weeknd 's previous music videos for `` Ca n't Feel My Face '' and `` The Hills '' . In the music video , The Weeknd is shown trying to destroy evidence of his previous self , including his own awards from his past album , Beauty Behind the Madness . The video has been described as The Weeknd 's attempt to murder his former persona .