Gotye

Gotye
Background information
Birth nameWouter André De Backer
Also known asWally De Backer
Born (1980-05-21) 21 May 1980
Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
Occupation
  • Singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • drums
  • percussion
  • keyboards
  • guitar
  • ondioline
Years active2001–present
Labels
Member ofThe Basics
Websitegotye.com

Wouter André De Backer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋʌutər ˈɑndreː ˈbɑkər]; born 21 May 1980), known professionally as Gotye (/ˈɡɒti/ GOT-ee-ay, French: [ɡotje], Dutch: [ɡoːˈtɕeː]), is a Belgian-born Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know" (featuring Kimbra), which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, as well as several international charts, and became the best-selling song of 2012. He has won five ARIA Awards and received a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the song won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, while its parent album — Making Mirrors (2012) — won Best Alternative Music Album.

Gotye has released three studio albums independently and one album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is a founding member of the Melbourne indie-pop trio the Basics, who have independently released four studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002.