Somebody That I Used to Know

"Somebody That I Used to Know"
Single by Gotye featuring Kimbra
from the album Making Mirrors
Released	5 July 2011 (2011-07-05)
Recorded	January–May 2011
Studio	The Barn (Merricks, Victoria) Lucas Taranto's lounge room (Melbourne, Australia)
Genre	Art pop[1] alternative rock[2]
Length	4:04
Label	Eleven Universal V2
Songwriter(s)	Wally De Backer
Producer(s)	Wally De Backer
Gotye singles chronology
"Eyes Wide Open" (2010) "Somebody That I Used to Know" (2011) "I Feel Better" (2011)
Kimbra singles chronology
"Cameo Lover" (2011) "Somebody That I Used to Know" (2011) "Good Intent" (2011)
Music video
"Somebody That I Used to Know" on YouTube

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written, produced and performed by Belgian-Australian musician and singer Gotye, featuring vocals from New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song samples Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental song "Seville", with additional instrumentations of beats and a xylophone playing a melody based on "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep". The song was released in Australia and New Zealand through Eleven Music on 5 July 2011 as the second single from Gotye's third studio album, Making Mirrors (2011). It was later released by Universal Music in December 2011 in the United Kingdom, and 20 January 2012 in Ireland and the United States. "Somebody That I Used to Know" was written and recorded by Gotye at his parents' house on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, and is lyrically related to the experiences he has had with romantic relationships.

The song is a mid-tempo ballad. It samples Luiz Bonfá's instrumental "Seville" from his album, Luiz Bonfá Plays Great Songs (1967). "Somebody That I Used to Know" received a favorable response from critics, who noted the similarities between the songs and works by Sting, David Bowie and American indie folk band Bon Iver. In Australia, the song won the Triple J Hottest 100 poll at the end of 2011, as well as ARIA Music Awards for Song of the Year and Best Video, while Kimbra was voted Best Female Artist, and Gotye was named Best Male Artist and Producer of the Year. The song came ninth in the Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years, 2013. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, "Somebody That I Used to Know" won two Grammys for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year.

Commercially, "Somebody That I Used to Know" was a global success and became both artists' signature song. It reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as 25 other official charts, and reached the Top 10 in more than 30 countries. It was the most commercially successful recording of 2011 in Flanders (Belgium), the most successful of 2012 in Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States and Wallonia (Belgium), and the most successful of the 2010s decade by an Australian artist in Australia. It is certified multi-platinum in ten countries, including Diamond in Australia. Globally, "Somebody That I Used to Know" has sold more than 13 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling digital singles ever.^[3] In addition to the Hot 100, it was also placed at the top of Billboard's Year-End Adult Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts, and many other charts around the world. On Spotify, the song has been streamed more than 2.3 billion times as of October 2024.^[4]

The accompanying music video for "Somebody That I Used to Know" was directed by Australian creative filmmaker Natasha Pincus. The video, which has received over 2 billion views on YouTube as of November 2022, premiered on 5 July 2011, the same day the song was first released. It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked against a white backdrop. While they sing, a pattern of paint gradually covers their skin and the backdrop via stop motion animation.

"Somebody That I Used to Know" has been performed several times on major American television shows including The Voice, American Idol and Saturday Night Live.