(Single from album, "Making Mirrors")
It permeated our minds, souls and very existences, and, to begin with, we didn't even mind...
In fact, quite interestingly, "Somebody That I Used To Know" crept into the UK charts in the first week of 2012 at a rather lowly #99, and should most likely have passed away unnoticed, remembered by a mere few as 'that quirky, folky pop song that was on the radio a bit'.
Instead, the lead single from Canadian Gotye's debut outing appeared everywhere, in every television advert, on every radio station, at least four times a day, and in the background at every supermarket. Unless you happened to be on another planet, there was no escaping this song.
Eventually, the novelty of a song becoming so successful and yet retaining so much beauty, genius and musical quality, wore off; around April time, the song was still struggling to fall out of the UK top 100, and even now, the song resurfaces every other week. This song really has been the soundtrack to the year, in that, for all 12 months, its been there; somewhere...
So why is this my song of the year, 2012?
Well, though it pains me to admit, its a very well written song. The instrumentation is accomplished and catchy, and the lyrics aren't too shoddy either. It's the perfect pop song, and the way it's sombre presence lingered in our ear canals for such an awfully long time is simply testament to this fact. The song feels simple, but yet has so many levels of sound; there is a very raw quality, and one which is warming and intoxicating. The lyrics add fuel to this blazing inferno of mainstream appealing genius; yes, they're, in many ways, very generic, but there's still some ingenuity here, with the way the female opinion, an alternate side to the story of the narrative, is included, giving the subject of relationships more personality, and also, adding another very strong vocal to the track, alongside that of Gotye's, another incredible aspect of this song.
The song is strong, like it or not. And it's not nosebleed-worthy on the scale of broing normality either; there is a very quirky, memorable, folk style aspect and, like it or not, this wave of difference captured people's attention. Granted, it went on too long; the singer himself has 'disowned' the song, claiming it to have 'detracted from interest in his other work', causing him to 'wish [he'd] never written the track'. Its shame, but still, a monument. Briefly, worries about what pop music could do next, were quelled; despite it's extremely annoying qualities, "Somebody That I Used To Know" came upon us with optimistic prospects, with only our classic, consumerist torture chamber of social idiocy to blame for ruining this absolute classic. Perhaps this little reminder of the mainstream's own incapability to deal with pop music brilliance, adds to the sentiment I have for the track, as a suitably 'indie' reader of the NME...
Maybe there's a bit of Smiths-esque genderless application going here as well; this song could apply to any one it's listeners, and the heart wrenching cries of both the singer and his instruments are emotional and heartfelt; there is genuine feeling here - to simultaneously attack mindless mainstream haters and quote another giant musical moment of 2012, this 'isn't fucking Justin Bieber you motherfuckers!' - in fact, it's much more intelligent, layered and accomplished than that...
Ok, so what else? Well, the video left me cold; they could have done something brilliant with that. But it's only fair, at this point to mention the Walk Off The Earth cover version. Perhaps the best version of this song, fellow Canadian music collective Walk Off The Earth, made history this year, when, all five of them, sat around one guitar, all playing it at once, and giving us an insight into a world of quirky cover versions, and new interesting ways of making and recording music. If, despite everything, you still hate Gotye for writing this song, at least be thankful that this incredible moment in music history was possible because of it...
Agree, or don't agree - it's up to you. However, look inside, and think to yourself; 'how many times did I hum this this year?', or 'how many times did I sing this in the shower', or, most prominently, 'how often did I hear this on the radio and smile?' - this song was very good, and it did have that effect on you at least once; guaranteed...
★★★★★
Versions of “Somebody That I Used To Know”
Album/Single Version - 4:05
Radio Mix - 3:33
Tiësto Remix - 4:33
Walk Off The Earth Cover Version - 4:25