Kanye West’s popular song “Stronger” is based on a well-known sample from Daft Punk’s song “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” which in turn reimagines Edwin Birdsong’s 1979 song “Cola Bottle Baby.” A musical doppelgänger is produced by this sample layering, in which each version both mirrors and changes the original. West’s Daft Punk sampling turns into a kind of doubling, where he takes elements from their song and adds his own twist to make it something fresh. Hip-hop’s use of samples might be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea of doubles and doppelgängers. A sample replicates the original music but modifies it to fit a new setting, much like in literature, where a doppelgänger frequently denotes a reflected or warped image of a character. The duality of public and private personalities is echoed by Kanye’s conversion of Daft Punk’s robotic, future sound into a human-centered hymn of self-empowerment. In “Stronger,” West raps on inner strife, popularity, and personal resiliency—themes frequently linked to the difficulty public figures and celebrities experience in trying to maintain a private sense of self while living up to expectations. The idea of a double identity in art and life is analogous to this tension between the old and the reimagined, the sampled and the new. Kanye’s musical doubling in “Stronger” reflects the tension that many people, particularly those in the spotlight, face on a daily basis between their genuineness and public persona.
“Kanye West – Stronger Samples.” Genius, genius.com/Kanye-west-stronger-sample.