Somebody That I Used To Know Ruined Gotye's Life

Somebody That I Used to Know was a smashing success for Gotye back in 2011, so why did it ruin his life at the time? Learn more.

When I first heard Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” I lost my ever-loving mind. It was so special and so unique that, just like the rest of the world, I played it non-stop. I’d never heard of Gotye before, but suddenly, he was my new favorite artist, and I needed to know every little detail I could find. I remember thinking that it must have been incredible to become super famous overnight because, at the time, I couldn’t imagine a world where an entertainer didn’t want to be Beatles-level famous. But, in reality, it was possibly the absolute worst thing that could’ve happened to the artist’s career.

Where Is “Somebody That I Used to Know” Singer Gotye Now? (distractify.com)

The joke is that Gotye is now “Somebody That I Used to Know,” but in this case, it’s because the artist chose to be a one-hit-wonder rather than maintain the unexpected level of fame he had reached after one song. The singer-songwriter never wanted to be a household name, and although he expected some success with his massive hit, he never knew how popular it would become.

Find out why Gotye slipped back into obscurity after his first and only massive single:

In July 2011, Gotye released “Somebody That I Used To Know” expecting a successful yet normal release. Instead, he accidentally created one of the most successful songs ever posted to YouTube. But with over 2 billion views attributed to a previously unknown artist, such fame and success was bound to come with a range of frustrating downsides.