Gotye Hits the Viral Heart
You may have heard a simple but hopelessly catchy song about heartbreak over the past couple weeks called Somebody That I Used To Know, by Gotye. It’s intense, intimate and achingly relatable to anyone who’s taken part in the death of a relationship.
It’s simple, it’s dark, it’s beautiful – and it’s also a staggering success. Forget about current YouTube champions Jessie J (her Domino video has been seen 21 million times) and Lady Gaga (Marry The Night has 31 million hits). Somebody That I Used To Know has surpassed 51 million views.
Yup. 51 million.
The song has been in rotation since last July, where Australians picked up on it right away, making it the longest-running chart-topper by a local artist in 15 years. It has since exploded worldwide. An impressive cover of the song by Walk Off The Earth, where all five members play off one guitar, has on its own gained nearly 39 million views.
The album the song is on, Making Mirrors, is quite a bit more abstract and challenging than the lone single, but it’s worth an exploration. Let’s just hope this is not a one-hit-wonder.
-Erik
Huh. Never seen it until now.
I was just played this song last weekend and am now hopelessly addicted. That said, I agree wholeheartedly with your views on how abstract the album is as a whole – but I still love it.
It’s a challenge to listen to, as it meanders through a number of genres at once, but is very rewarding to ears appreciated of it’s genre-bending roots.
Josh, 88.9 and surprisingly, 102.1, have been playing this song quite frequently lately.
Dustin, I definitely think I need to give the album another listen or two.