"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song by Belgian-Australian singer and songwriter Gotye from his third studio album Making Mirrors, and features New Zealand singer Kimbra. The song was written by Gotye himself, lyrically about the experiences he has had with relationships. The song was released on 6 July 2011 as the second and lead single off the album.
The song was released to critical acclaim by music critics and a surprising success in Australia, peaking at #1 in the country for eight weeks, becoming the longest running Australian song since Savage Garden's 1996 song "Truly Madly Deeply",. The song received other success in European countries, particularly Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Ireland, where it peaked at #1. On 12 February 2012, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom for the week ending 18 February 2012 and climbed back to #1 for another week on 26 February 2012, staying in that position for a further 2 weeks. In Kimbra's home country, New Zealand, the song has also reached #1.
It is Gotye and Kimbra's most successful single and their first #1 song in Australia and New Zealand, also causing their previous singles and albums to chart in the top 100 in Australia. The song has charted within the top 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, his first song to chart in the United States. The song has been featured in the TV series 90210 and Gossip Girl. In February 2012, Gotye made his American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he performed the song.
