Following the success of his underground single “Eyes Wide Open,” Gotye released his soft and melancholic song “Somebody That I used to Know,” featuring Kimbra, in July 2011. The melody has been receiving much attention due to its high rank on the New Zealand and Belgium singles charts. In the tune, Gotye expresses his feeling on the separation between him and a former lover, while Kimbra tells her side of the story. The pair makes for a compilation that is both ambiguous and interesting to follow. An acoustic guitar keeps the beat and echoes the hushed but strong vocals of both singers. Gotye yells out his bitterness in the chorus, singing, “But you didn’t have to cut me off / making like it never happened and that we were nothing.” His frustration is followed by an annoyed Kimbra who supports her actions with “Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over / letting me believing it was always something that I’d done / But I don’t want to live that way…” The emotion implied through both singer’s powerful accusations makes for a work of art which displays both the sweet and sour aspects of relationships. “Somebody That I Used Know” is a refreshing indie piece that depicts the universal problems of relationships in a new and humble way. Gotye succeeds to connect with a large audience without conforming to the mainstream trends of present day pop music.
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