The track is celebrated for its minimalist yet hypnotic instrumentation, which notably includes:
: The distinctive opening guitar riff is sampled from Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental "Seville". Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
"Somebody That I Used to Know," released by Belgian-Australian artist featuring New Zealand singer Kimbra in July 2011, is a multi-platinum art-pop single that became a global cultural phenomenon. Written and produced by Gotye at his parents' house in Australia, the song explores the bitter aftermath of a romantic breakup through two opposing perspectives. Composition and Sampling The track is celebrated for its minimalist yet
The , directed by Natasha Pincus, became as iconic as the song itself. It features: Composition and Sampling The , directed by Natasha
: Gotye and Kimbra appear naked and are gradually painted into a geometric background inspired by Gotye's father's artwork.
: The song features a sparse xylophone melody based on the first nine notes of the nursery rhyme "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep".
Lyrically, the song is an "amalgam" of Gotye's past relationship experiences. It captures the frustration of a partner who feels discarded and the counter-perspective of a partner who feels gaslit or suffocated.