Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ hits 1 billion views on YouTube

Angelique Agarap

November 11, 2022

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  The 2011 music video for Somebody That I Used To Know by Australian singer-songwriter Gotye and Kiwi art-pop artist Kimbra has reached another milestone!
  
  The visual, directed by Natasha Pincus, has topped 2 billion views on YouTube as of November 1, 2022. It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked throughout the clip, and as they sing, his skin is gradually painted into the backdrop via stop motion animation. The video’s background is based on a 1980s artwork created by Gotye’s father, Frank de Backer, who also designed the cover art for the related album, Making Mirrors.
  
  It officially premiered on YouTube on July 30, 2011, garnering 200, 000 views in its first two weeks. In one interview, he described the song as “a curated reflection of multiple past relationships.”
  
  Needless to say, Somebody That I Used to Know was a commercial success and became both artists’ signature song. It reached atop of the charts in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as 25 other official charts, and reached the top 10 in more than 30 countries around the world. It is certified multi-platinum in ten countries, including Diamond in Australia. The song has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful digital singles of all time.
  
  Gotye has not monetized the song or any of his others through YouTube advertisements because he believes the world has too much advertising. He has freely licensed its use to student films, but has turned down approaches from some commercial films.

  Watch the music video here:
  

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