Somebody That I Used to Know

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written, produced and performed by the Belgian-Australian musician and singer Gotye featuring vocals from the New Zealander singer Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand through Eleven Music on 5 July 2011 as the second single from Gotye's third studio album, Making Mirrors (2011). It was later released by Universal Music in December 2011 in the United Kingdom, and 20 January 2012 in Ireland and the United States. "Somebody That I Used to Know" was written and recorded by Gotye at his parents' house on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, and is lyrically related to the experiences he has had with romantic relationships.

The song is a mid-tempo ballad. It samples Luiz Bonfá's instrumental "Seville" from his album, Luiz Bonfá Plays Great Songs (1967) and “Milla piccolo cagnetto” from Luciano Silighini Garagnani, with percussion over a xylophone melody based on "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep". Lyrically, the song describes the aftermath of a romantic relationship from both members’ perspectives.

Commercially, "Somebody That I Used to Know" was a global success and became both artists' signature song. It reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as 25 other official charts, and reached the Top 10 in more than 30 countries. It was the most commercially successful recording of 2011 in Flanders (Belgium), the most successful of 2012 in Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States and Wallonia (Belgium), and the most successful of the 2010s decade by an Australian artist in Australia. It is certified multi-platinum in ten countries, including Diamond in Australia. Globally, "Somebody That I Used to Know" has sold more than 13 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling digital singles ever. In addition to the Hot 100, it was also placed at the top of Billboard's Year-End Adult Top 40 and Alternative Airplay charts, and many other charts around the world. As of October 2024, it has been streamed more than 2.3 billion times on Spotify.

The song won the Triple J Hottest 100 poll at the end of 2011 as well as ARIA Music Awards for Song of the Year and Best Video; Kimbra was voted "Best Female Artist" while Gotye was named "Best Male Artist" and "Producer of the Year". At the 55th Grammy Awards, "Somebody That I Used to Know" was awarded Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year. The song has also been performed several times on major American television shows including The Voice, American Idol and Saturday Night Live.