How GOTYE Created A Song We Used To Know

this episode is sponsored by rate on get 15% off your new earbuds today at buy rake on Comm slash middle late somebody that I used to know is the greatest one-hit wonder of the 2010s eight years ago the single sat on the throne of the Billboard Hot 100 for eight straight weeks eventually reaching number one in 18 countries around the world it became the first song to sell more than five million copies in the first half of a year certifying the single platinum countless times over and at at least twelve major markets three re Awards two Grammys and 1 billion views and Counting on YouTube at the end of the decade the track placed eighth on Billboard's Hot 100 songs of the 2010 and second on Triple J's hottest 100 of the decade somebody that I used to know remains Gauthier's biggest and most successful hit managing to captivate the world with its global sounds it's anti pop structure and an enthralling emotional love story but the Belgian Australian artists is yet to follow up his 2011 release leaving us to ask what happened to God this is how Garcia crafted a song we all used to know [Applause] [Music] the danger with having a massive hit is that the song has the chance to transcend your whole identity from an outsider's perspective it might have seemed as if gaya arrived out of nowhere but by somebody that I used to knows release he had already received national acclaim for his previous two album releases Wally De Backer better known as Gautier had a strong desire to make music from an early age he learned to play the piano than the drums and it wasn't long before De Backer was sampling old records and constructing tracks of his own [Music] [Applause] when De Backer met Chris Schroeder in 2002 they formed the rock band the basics a group he's continued to tour and record alongside his solo project De Backer managed to finally put together a collection of tracks for his 2003 solo debut board face [Music] a few short years later gotiya released like drawing blood featuring more acoustic instrumentation than his debut [Music] the excellent art pop record want Triple J's listener poll for best album of the year garnering him his first Aria award for best male artist and went on to an iTunes album of the year in the UK his achievements allowed him to set up a permanent recording studio in a barn at his parents farm where he'd begin recording his third album making mirrors featuring his signature hit but what was it that made the track so special some of it had to do with the sounds got a uses born in Belgium raised in Australia got he intends to look abroad for musical ideas a core reason for the songs global appeal and why it might have done well on both alternative and contemporary stations the track heavily samples Brazilian jazz musician luiz bonfá 'he's seville giving it a very Latin inspired loop from just to repeated notes the drums are another beast of their own primal in nature they feature afro-cuban bongos and South American tango influences the ear wormy melody sounds like it was composed on a xylophone or a glockenspiel and sounds fairly reminiscent of the nursery rhymes from our childhoods lullabies we've heard our entire lives subconsciously soothing or calming us and making this track instantly recognizable but it also does something peculiar when it comes to song structure typical top 40 song structure aims to get the song's chorus to your ears as quickly as possible occasionally beginning with a hook right out of the gate instead go Jacobs us to full verses before finally reaching the refrain by doing this the song forces us to wait while it builds towards its climactic payoff and were willingly tolerant since we've already been losing ourselves in its Latin sounds and nursery rhyme melody but like nursery rhymes we wouldn't be as captivated if it weren't for the single story that back and forth ping-pong pattern of Lewis bonfá sample left tobacker thinking about the back and forth within relationships incorporating elements of fiction and real-life experience the song became his forum for reflecting on the aftermath of a past breakup no his partner seemed happy and he told himself that he should be too but inside he's unsure of something not feeling a sort of warmth he's craving to myself that you were right but feel silly rather than leaving he grows comfortable to this misery eventually the two have a falling out opting for a chance at friendship and at first he's kind of relieved it's over but his tone changes when she decides to cut him off completely no no you need you treat me like a stranger he couldn't stand to be with her but ironically doesn't want to lose her entirely either he feels she was taken away from him unfairly and slowly convinces himself that he doesn't need her or her methods guess I don't need that though now you're just somebody no time passes the two grow distant and have become strangers once again we've all been there we all have that somebody that we used to know strangers who became friends friends who became lovers and lovers who turned back into strangers the song touches on such a universal emotion but there's also a twist Gauthier had gotten this far in writing the track but felt it was missing something that's when the idea to introduce another perspective emerged he wanted the song to be a duet but structured like a dialogue offering to somebody he used to know a chance to counter his argument it was just a matter of who would be the right female vocalist to complete the tune finding someone he thought would bring the track to life became a heartbreaking process in itself he had a high profile Australian artist canceled on him at the last minute he had his girlfriend Tash parker make an attempt but they felt her vocals didn't work for the tune got a had to almost convinced himself that the song wasn't meant to be until he finally lucked out with Kimbra six months later the New Zealanders struck the right balance between the fragile and direct emotion needed for the track her voice contradicts the narrative laid out by Gauthier up to that point making him appear as an unreliable narrator his inner turmoil during their relationship affected her more than we were led to believe their breakup left her realizing she didn't need that sort of treatment either she concludes her rebuttal by throwing his own words back at him [Music] leading us to believe that this isn't the first time he's been hung up on someone he used to love maybe his refusal to move on from a past relationship ruined this new one either way they've both come to the end of their time together and are just wrestling with their unresolved feelings neither side is really in the wrong and that conversational aspect is my favorite part because everyone picks aside and here's the track in their own way it becomes our song because we developed such a deep and direct connection with it that's the beauty of art with the track complete got a released the single in the summer of 2011 with the connick music video following shortly after countless remixes and remakes surfaced along with a number of televised performances aiding in the singles meteoric rise the song took on a life of its own taking Gautier along with it so what happened to God to you and why hasn't he capitalized on his success the single in his album making mirrors saw him tour the world and when things finally quieted down Dibakar said that there would be no new Gauthier music but that the project may continue in the future additionally money has never been a driving motivator for the artist he isn't even interested in selling his music when the track found itself in some legal troubles due to luis von phul sample Godse refused to waste his time going to court and settled on losing 50% of the track's royalties he doesn't monetize his YouTube channel and he refuses to sell his music for commercials but encourages artists to use the song free of charge for remixes and independent film soundtracks when he won arias Australian artists of the decade in early 2020 he announced that a follow-up album would be released in the next decade probably performing as an occasional vocal feature tobacker largely remains the active drummer and singer of his band the basics somebody that I used to know was the perfect hit for a transitional moment in pop God he took the world by storm with his fresh sound unique song structure and relatable narrative crafting a song we all used to know and one we won't soon forget [Music] got a song isn't the only thing we used to know remember wired headphones if you're still using these relics now's the time to cut them off and make out like they never happened wireless earbuds will change your music listening experience I don't have to untangle any cords I can listen in bed without the worry of strangling myself to death I can work out or do chores without being tethered to my phone at about half the price of other premium wireless earbuds Rea cons everyday e25 s are the ideal upgrade seamless bluetooth pairing a noise isolating fit that stays in your ears six hours of play time a charging case that fits in the little pocket of your jeans a variety of color ways to choose from IP x4 water-resistant but most importantly great sound don't get caught up on some wires that you used to know click the link in the description and get 15% off your order today it's a great deal but it also shows rikon that I sent you over which is a huge help to my channel upgrade or get your first pair of truly wireless earbuds using the first link in the description below thanks for watching ladies and gents if you enjoyed this video give it a like rating if you loved it share it with a friend subscribe and be sure to hit that bell so you're notified of when the next episode goes live if you can support us on patreon and follow us at more middle 8 tell me who do you think the high profile Australian artist was that dropped out of go taze him my guess is sia but let me know what you think in the comments below and that's it for me again thanks for watching and keep listening

Channel: Middle 8

Views: 1,176,518

Rating: 4.9594517 out of 5

Keywords: Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know, Gotye Somebody That I Used To Know, what happened to Gotye, gotye somebody that I used to know live, gotye somebody that I used to know remix, gotye live, gotye interview, kimbra, does gotye still make music, did gotye retire, did gotye write somebody that i used to know, is gotye coming back, is gotye still making music, what happened gotye, why gotye stopped, will gotye come back, where is gotye 2020, did gotye die, how much did gotye make

Id: nej-5GhPqtw

Length: 10min 48sec (648 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 18 2020