The track is celebrated for its minimalist yet hypnotic instrumentation, which notably includes:
: Gotye and Kimbra appear naked and are gradually painted into a geometric background inspired by Gotye's father's artwork. Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
: Gotye initially struggled to finish the track until he added a female verse. Kimbra was eventually chosen as the vocalist after another high-profile artist cancelled. Meaning and Visuals The track is celebrated for its minimalist yet
: The distinctive opening guitar riff is sampled from Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental "Seville". Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
: The video has surpassed 2 billion views on YouTube and helped the song reach No. 1 in more than 25 countries.
: The painting symbolizes the shared history of the relationship, with Kimbra eventually "washing clean" of the paint as she breaks away.