MORTEN and David Guetta on Striking Gold with "Lucky": Why Their Future Rave Anthem Is Resonating

Since it debuted during David Guetta’s set at Tomorrowland’s opening weekend, “Lucky” has lived up to its name. 

Clips of the maximalist future rave anthem circulated rapidly after its premiere, fanning the flames of anticipation for its release at the start of September. It didn’t take long for “Lucky” to crack the Mainstage Top 10 chart on the Beatport store, either (where it holds the No. 4 slot at the time of this writing). 

So what’s made it resonate so strongly?

“I think it’s a fresh take on the scene right now that can get played in various sets, that’s probably what makes it so popular,” MORTEN tells Beatportal.

“It’s a new feeling, a fresh energy for the dance floor,” echoes Guetta, adding, “You can almost hear the excitement we felt when producing this track, and I always think people pick up on this feeling when they’re on the dance floor.”

But its impact hasn’t been confined to the dance floor; the explosive cut has leapt beyond club and festival circuit, with several European sports clubs in France, Italy, Spain, and Denmark even using it on their social media accounts. In an exclusive Q&A with Beatportal, MORTEN and Guetta explain how “Lucky” evolves future rave's blueprint and share the story behind a track that hits like a bolt of lightning every time it drops.

“Lucky” embodies the kinetic future rave sound you’ve nurtured since 2020. How do you feel future rave has evolved since you launched it with New Rave, and in what ways does this track reflect that evolution? 
 

MORTEN: First off, thank you so much for having me. When we started making future rave back in 2019, we basically just wanted to make records that worked for our sets. It's kind of the same approach we still have today, although the typical sound from back then has definitely diversified and evolved a little bit. “Lucky” is a good example, but I think you can still hear the musical DNA that brought me and David together to create this high-energy music we love.

Guetta: Thank you so much for having me. You know, music is like life: It always moves, it always evolves. We spend hours and hours in the studio to catch new vibes, but also play a lot of shows, always testing new sounds in the clubs and at festivals. So, we see how people react and get our ideas from them, too. This is how future rave mutated throughout the years. 

While staying true to our future rave DNA, we incorporated new elements, blending the original sound with influences like techno, progressive, and crazy little experiments. It’s kept the sound moving, and also kept things interesting for ourselves. "Lucky" is exactly this, a tune that has all the future rave essentials, but with a new energy we instantly felt connected with.

As notorious collaborators, you must have your creative process down to a quick, sure science. What was the making of “Lucky” like?
 

MORTEN: “Lucky” was one of these records that kind of wrote itself. First, we went back and forth on the melody, then we wrote the lyrics, which were done after some fun hours late at night. Once we had this idea going, we met up in Ibiza and finished the record together.
 

Guetta: It's not really science, you know? It's about the energy between us. We make music that we want to play for the people, and we somehow complement each other when creating this future rave sound. "Lucky" was very fast, just like many other tracks we’ve done in the past. It just flowed. We had an idea, and we built on it together, not trying to overthink things too much, just following the vibe and staying true to that first, initial idea, including all the gritty, rough edges you might still hear. In my experience, this is how the music stays fresh, from studio to festival.

Who’s on vocals?

MORTEN: The vocals are 100% made [using artificial intelligence]. Trust me, it took hours and hours and hours to find the right tone and the right voice for this, but finally, we had something we loved, wrote the lyrics, and made this record happen with AI.

The song has been doing damage on dance floors across the country. What, in your opinion, has caused it to make such a strong impression?

MORTEN: Now, it's our own record, so of course I'm a little influenced here because I love it so, so much. I think it’s a fresh take on the scene right now that can get played in various sets, that’s probably what makes it so popular. We felt it too, as we immediately wanted to play it live ourselves. I just love this record very much, and I'm happy to release it. I'm happy to see it live on Beatport finally.

Guetta: I think it's a banger because it's a new feeling, a fresh energy for the dance floor. When I first played it at Tomorrowland, the people went absolutely crazy. After that, it became a weapon in my sets in Ibiza. People are always looking for something new, something surprising. They want music that evolves and gets the blood pumping. 

"Lucky" has this inimitable quality. It has the future rave energy, mixed with trap-like vocals and a raw production, which makes it stand out in a set. You can almost hear the excitement we felt when producing this track, and I always think people pick up on this feeling when they’re on the dance floor. In the end, it’s all about the vibes you’re sharing.