Over two billion views on YouTube, one and a half billion listens on Spotify, over two billion on Vimeo – “Somebody that I used to know” has been listened to many times around the world in the 12 years since its premiere. Gotye, or rather Wpouter Andre De Backer, an Australian-Belgian musician, never achieved such success again. As if he was aware that “Somebody that I used to know” sung with Kimbra is his peak achievement. It disappeared shortly after its premiere.
Gotye and his one and only hit
When Gotye presented “Somebody that I used to know” to the world, he had been trying his hand at the music market for ten years. He released his first album in 50 copies, each of which he not only signed by hand, but also wrote down the list of songs (he composed four) and designed the cover. His name was “Gotye” because that’s what his mother called him – he was born in Belgium and “Gaultier” (pronounced Gotje) is the French equivalent of the Flemish name “Wouter” given to him by his parents. Later he played in the Australian band The Basics, while also writing and producing music, but his breakthrough came suddenly around 2011.
It was then that he heard a guitar sample from Brazilian Luiz Bonfa from 1967. And suddenly, note for note, line for line, Gotye had a song ready. He wondered for a long time who should sing the female part and finally, after several unsuccessful vocal attempts with other singers, he contacted Kimbra – a New Zealand artist.
He came to my house in Melbourne with a microphone. (…) We didn’t work particularly hard – we did about four or five attempts. We managed to “catch” something that day. Wally went home to work on the song further, and I didn’t think much more about it, to be honest. I knew it was a cool song, but… I was convinced it would be one of the six ballads on the album. These publishing experts who boast that they “knew from the first hearing that it would be a hit” make me laugh. Well, I didn’t know. Maybe they’re smarter than me, Kimbra said in an interview with Vulture ten years after recording “Somebody…”.
The song “burst” suddenly. Gotye later said that he didn’t expect such a hit, but it certainly helped that he didn’t cause problems for those who wanted to remix his latest “baby”.
I wasn’t the one who shoved this song in everyone’s faces. Suddenly the whole world was doing it – he said in an interview with Stereogum.
Gotye “disappeared” and “retired”? It seems so, but it’s not
12 years have passed since the success of “Somebody that I used to know”. Gotye’s next songs have never been so loud, although the musician has one more international hit to his name. In 2007, he recorded “Hearts a mess”, which was very popular in Australia and Belgium. “It’s a beloved song by Australians, although “Somebody that I used to know” is a bigger hit,” said the musician’s manager, John Watson, about “Hearts a Mess”. The song gained popularity again only years later, when in 2013 Baz Luhrmann took advantage of the musician’s popularity and used “Hearts a mess” in the soundtrack to his version of “The Great Gatsby”. And then Gotye suddenly stopped being written about. The world’s media reminds us of him from time to time and asks if he has retired or given up music.
Nothing could be further from the truth. After “Somebody…” he continued to create. He released three more albums with “The Basics” and several more with various artists. Years later, he also decided to monetize his success on YouTube – until now, he did not want to make money on a recording that was played over two billion times on this platform. “I decided that I would use these money to do new projects,” he explained in 2021.
“I composed an incredible hit, but I had no control over it,” De Backer later said. – I went to radio stations, they treated me like a star, and I wanted to tell them all to play other music too.
He also explained that the three years when “Somebody…” was played all over the world non-stop taught him a lot. He managed not to get caught up in fame. “I allowed myself to be guided by a different approach than thinking that there is an appropriate time when the next album should be released,” he explained. He suspended the “Gotye” project and even announced to fans that he would never perform under this title again. “There will never be music from Gotye again. But wait, maybe there will be. I’m not sure. There are many possibilities,” he said in 2016.
He still creates with The Basics, although the group has completely suspended live concerts since 2021.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
