Throwback To “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Here’s a song that you probably used to know. Think back about five or six years to that hit song that came out of nowhere. It was a song no one could escape: Radio played it constantly. Its popularity got it into various viral videos. It even earned two Grammys, plus another Grammy for the album it appeared on. What song are we talking about? “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye and Kimbra.
Don’t pretend you don’t know all the words, even after half a decade. “Somebody That I Used To Know” was the kind of song everyone knew and sang along to, even if they didn’t know much about the musicians behind it. Wally De Backer, the Belgian-Australian artist better known as Gotye, wrote the song for his third album, Making Mirrors. “Somebody That I Used To Know,” featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra, was released as its second single in July 2011, a month before the album dropped.
Gotye had a feeling the song would be big, and he was right. In addition to the Grammys and other awards, it was also a huge hit worldwide. It topped essentially every chart in the US, plus charts in nearly every country in Europe, plus Mexico, Venezuela, New Zealand, and Australia. In the rare chart that it didn’t top, it usually bowed in at number 2 or 3.
“Somebody That I Used To Know” was also the most-played song on many year-end radio charts around the world. For the end of 2012, it topped US Billboard Hot 100, US Alternative Songs, US Adult Pop Songs, UK Singles, Canadian Hot 100, and more. It topped a Belgian chart for the end of 2011, and then another Belgian chart for 2012. It was also the top song in Australia in 2011.
Now it’s been six years since “Somebody That I Used To Know” first graced our ears. It’s also been 6 years with no new album from Gotye. No matter, though it will be interesting to hear what he comes out with next. For now, we can always enjoy this classic that came out of left field. Revisit “Somebody That I Used To Know” below:
So far, there’s no word on when Gotye will release another album, let along a new single. Kimbra, meanwhile, has two albums of her own. In 2011 she released Vows, followed by The Golden Echo in 2014.
Keep checking back here for more fun throwbacks, as well as latest news, blogs, playlists, and in-depth looks at upcoming albums.
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