There are three main reasons why Somebody That I Used To Know didn’t make Gotye millions
It’s been a whopping 13 years since the hit song was first released, but more than a decade on, we are all still bumping ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’.
Even if you don’t care to admit it, Gotye’s immensely catchy ballad is still a banger and can fill an empty dance floor within the blink of an eye.
Everyone from our mums, nans, and next door neighbours all love the 2011 track, so just imagine how many people have typed it into YouTube over the years.
I mean, that artsy video where he and New Zealand-born singer Kimbra, 34, are writhing around in front of a canvas while different chunks of them are coloured in with different shades really adds to the whole listening experience, wouldn’t you agree?
It’s racked up a whopping 2,349,791,774 views over the years, which would obviously equate to quite a lot of money, but bizarrely, Gotye hasn’t got millions to show for it.
Although it should have been his ticket to an early retirement, Gotye hasn’t earned anything off his hit 2011 track with Kimbra (YouTube/Gotye Music)
That’s because the singer – real name Wouter André ‘Wally’ De Backer – is said to have made a few selfless decisions when it came to cashing in on the success of ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’.
Gotye didn’t monetise the music video
The Aussie artist opted against pre-roll ads on his YouTube channel, so he didn’t reap the potential rewards.
In an interview with news.com.au back in 2017, he explained: “I’m not interested in selling my music.
“That’s the reason I don’t put ads on my YouTube channel, which seems strange to people in today’s climate, but that is a decision you can make.
Gotye in 2015 (Don Arnold/WireImage)
“I’m like that with all my music. Ads are calling for our attention anywhere we turn in the world.
“I decided it made more sense to focus on creative things and not get hung up on money and lawyers and courts.”
Gotye often lets people use the song for free
Gotye also missed out on another huge payday by not licensing ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ for commercial use in movies or TV, as he would rather allow up-and-coming artists and film students to use the song at no cost.
“I don’t mind synching my music with creative projects like TV or film,” the 44-year-old said. “I’ve got my own set of rules I made, if a student film wants to use my film I say yes across the board, there’s no money involved.
“If someone wants to use it commercially, I look at what the budget is and the creativity of the project.”
Gotye has to split any proceeds with artists he sampled
As well as all of this, Gotye had to divide all of the royalties from the song up anyway, as it’s made up of mostly samples.
The guitar riff comes from the 1967 song ‘Seville’, which was created by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfa – and although only two seconds of it was used, Gotye offered his estate a 50 percent slice of the pie.
He didn’t cash in the success of ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ (Angela Weiss/WireImage)
The catchy tinkle in ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ is a melody played on a xylophone that is based on the nursery rhyme ‘Baa, Baa, Black Sheep’ too, in case you were wondering where you’ve heard it before.
Gotye also had to split royalties with other artists who contributed to the song, such as Kimbra.
So, all in all, there wasn’t a lot left to go around anyway.
People still reckon the whole thing is pretty admirable though, with social media users praising the musician for the ‘fantastic construct’.
One said: “One of my favourite songs. I didn’t know this.”
Another wrote: “I read about this once! Not wanting to sell his music. I also do art with this mindset and I appreciate him so much.”
And a third added: “He wanted the music industry to be accessible by all. He wanted young people to be able to edit and add to a song without being charged.”
A few years after ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ was released, Gotye announced that he was taking a hiatus from the music scene.
He went on to launch a record label back in 2014, called Spirit Level, while also being a member of the band The Basics, before forming the Ondioline Orchestra in New York.
Earlier this year, Gotye’s hit single got a new lease of life when DJs Fisher, Chris Lake and Sante Sansone released a remix of his and Kimbra’s tune – so here’s to hoping these three might bung the singer a few quid.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Gotye Music/Daniel Boczarski/Redferns via Getty Images
