One Hit Wonders: How Adulation Boosted Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”
At a time when upbeat pop dominated the airwaves and rap was on its way to ruling the mainstream, Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” rode the coattails of numerous covers and an indie pop boom to become one of 2012’s unexpected hits.
Sometimes, the music industry is all about being in the right place at the right time. One Hit Wonders determines the factors that may have helped popularize a hit song before the artist in question ultimately disappeared from the spotlight.
Written by Myah Taylor
Photo courtesy of Universal Music
Wouter De Backer, better known by his stage name Gotye, never expected to become a global sensation, if even for a brief moment in time. The Australian singer-songwriter had been making relatively unknown alternative music since 2001, so when he sauntered onto the Grammy stage in 2013 to accept the Record of the Year award for his hit single “Somebody That I Used to Know,” he oozed humility.
“I just have to say there are so many incredible songs in this category,” Gotye said. “Not only in the Grammys more generally, but also so many artists and pieces of music that aren’t recognized by the Grammys this year.”
Gotye won two more Grammys that night for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors, his chart-topper’s home. Each time the shaggy-haired singer took the stage, he was just as modest and excited to be among the biggest names in the industry, such as the late Prince who presented him with the Record of the Year award. Truth be told, Gotye, dressed in a simple black suit with the slimmest of ties, did stand out. At that point, pop music was as loud and gimmicky as ever. Neither he nor “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra, fit that mold.
The track has no pulsating beat or lyrics detailing a crazy evening out on the town à la “Last Friday Night.” Rather, it begins quietly, as Gotye faintly sings the opening verses over his sample of “Seville,” an instrumental song by Brazilian jazz guitarist Luiz Bonfá. The Latin guitar plucks are paired with xylophones, flutes, and other percussive beats, setting the mood for Gotye’s confession: “Now and then I think of when we were together.”
Crooning in a voice reminiscent of Sting, Gotye continues to slowly peel back the layers of his failed relationship as the delicate guitar strums persist and whir. He finally succumbs to the reality that his ex-lover is just “somebody that I used to know'' in the climactic hook that kicks off the chorus. He sings, “You didn’t have to cut me off,” with a desperate conviction, almost shouting his grievances at the former flame who he knows will never hear him.
With layered vocals and instrumentation, “Somebody That I Used to Know” is a multifaceted song beyond its musical production. Opposing the first two verses, Kimbra tells the other side of the story in a powerful vocal performance before she and Gotye harmonize about the doomed union to close out the song. This tale of ill-fated love climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 28, 2012 and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks. The stop motion video for “Somebody That I Used to Know,” which features a nude Gotye and Kimbra gradually becoming coated with paint against a colorful backdrop, was just as popular. As of today, it has amassed over 1.5 billion views on YouTube.
Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and Flo Rida’s “Whistle” also went No. 1 that year. While “Somebody That I Used to Know” is a track with undeniable musical merit, it seemed out of place on Top 40 radio among more traditional pop hits. Despite its cult-like popularity, however, the song wasn’t an instant success, debuting at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 21, 2012, seven months after its original release. The right people just happened to hear it — and like it enough to share or perform it themselves.
Just after Gotye performed “Somebody That I Used to Know” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in his American television debut in early February 2012, star a cappella group Pentatonix released one of the first prominent covers of “Somebody That I Used to Know.” UK pop star Rita Ora sang her own rendition of the song when she visited BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge that same month. Actors Darren Criss and Matt Bomer, as Blaine and Cooper Anderson respectively, performed a cover of the song in the “Glee” episode “Big Brother” which first aired April 10, 2012. The next day, Phillip Phillips, who won the eleventh season of “American Idol,” performed the song on the show along with fellow contestant Elise Testone. Enough people had covered “Somebody That I Used to Know” that Gotye created a remix of all the tributes as a ‘thank you’ for the support he had received. Once he’d performed the song on the April 14, 2012 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” the track cemented itself as the most popular hit in the United States.
Repeated exposure in the media undoubtedly propelled the song to No. 1, but the success of “Somebody That I Used to Know” can perhaps be attributed less directly to a changing musical landscape. In 2011, Foster the People’s debut single “Pumped Up Kicks” and its iconic hook climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though less commercially successful, indie pop tracks such as M83’s “Midnight City” and Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied” also gained traction in the mainstream that year. During Gotye’s reign in 2012, tracks from alternative acts fun., Of Monsters and Men, and Passion Pit got significant airplay — or made it into a tech commercial.
All of this to say, Gotye was set up for success, as audiences seemed to be open to a more alternative sound on the Top 40 to counter the endless ranks of run-of-the-mill pop. “Somebody That I Used to Know” boasted the same kind of novelty that made Adele a super star, created a hesitant teen sensation in Lorde, and has continued to allow a collection of alternative songs to worm their way into the mainstream each year.
While Gotye was thankful for his success, he told NME in April 2012 that he was experiencing “Somebody That I Used to Know” fatigue. “It had an energy that wasn’t like anything I’ve put out before,” he said. “ I don’t really feel like it belongs to me anymore. Everybody else kind of owns it now, especially with there being so many cover versions and parodies.” The multi-instrumentalist also admitted that he didn’t know if he could create a successful follow up, saying, “Time will tell. I don’t know whether I can or whether I want to.”
Gotye went on hiatus as a solo artist in 2014, but continued playing drums and singing in his band, The Basics, which formed before he ventured out on his own. While he’s been a part of several musical projects since then, like preserving the legacy of electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perrey by creating the Ondioline Orchestra, Gotye has kept a pretty low profile. In 2020, the singer-songwriter released a live album, Live at The Songroom (Season 2, Episode 9), and he is supposedly working on a fourth studio album — but there’s no telling when or if that will ever see the light of day.
“Somebody That I Used to Know” will live on forever as a 2010s classic, etched into public memory for anyone old enough to remember. But now, Gotye himself has faded into obscurity, and perhaps fittingly, is just somebody that listeners everywhere used to know.