OFF THE GRID: GOTYE SPREADS EARWORM INFECTION IN THE STATES

By Robin Whitaker

We’re going off the pop music grid to share a song and video that you need to know. The artist? Gotye. The song? “Somebody I Used To Know - featuring Kimbra”. I encountered the song by chance just once and caught the earworm infection immediately. The symptoms included uncontrollable urges to hear the song again and again followed by an obsessive desire to replay the video on YouTube. That of course led to incessant humming and a desire to paint. Obviously a few other people are having the same symptoms, which account for the 55 million plus views Gotye’s official music video has gotten on YouTube (It’s jumped almost 10 million views in the last two weeks). In fact, the song has hit such an emotional cord, its inspired YouTube covers and re-mixes here in the U.S. that have generated their own fame. So what’s the big deal? Gotye has a sound that is reminiscent of Peter Gabriel (with a dash of Phil Collins and Sting). Mix in a variety of unique instruments, and some vintage effects and you’ve got a special song that is both amazingly refreshing and ear-fectious. Then there are the lyrics. With lines like ”Told myself that you were right for me, But felt so lonely in your company”,  the song is quickly becoming one of the coolest, rawest break-up songs to date. “Somebody I Used To Know” takes on another layer of emotion thanks to the addition of  female counterpoint vocals, Kimbra, a successful New Zealand artist who is now making her way to the U.S.  Add all the elements together, and you have a perfect storm of a song that is just plain different and something worth checking out. Take a listen and a view, and let us know what you think.

Gotye’s album “Making Mirrors” is out this week. “Somebody I Used To Know” will get its U.S. debut, when Gotye and Kimbra take the stage Wednesday night, Feb. 1, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Gotye and Kimbra will then hit the road here in the states with a U.S. spring tour starting end of March.