This Isolated Vocal Take For ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ Will Knock You Flat

In July, we passed the 10 year anniversary of Gotye and Kimbra’s globe-conquering hit, ‘Somebody That I Used To Know‘.

Its rise is still, frankly, bewildering — as Music Junkee contributor Sam Murphy explored in a recent feature, it was one of the first instances of a ‘viral track’ taking hold of the charts; a song that was completely antithetical to the mainstream suddenly gripping the entire world.

Ten years on, its influence can be felt everywhere. Virality is built into the marketing strategies for every pop song (see: the entirety of Lil Nas X’s album rollout). With that said, no other song has tried to emulate its sound — it remains a curious, standalone megahit. As for Gotye, he has yet to release another solo album, although he has continued to work with his longtime band The Basics.

And, apart from anything else, it’s still an extraordinary song — the latter choruses, in particular, pack a huge punch as Kimbra and Gotye create cannonballs with their vocals.

Over the last week, a clip of the two belting out the track in the studio has gone viral on TikTok — it’s an isolated vocal take, and it gives you a good impression of the incredible vocal power both artists have. Watch it below.