Gotye, the singer we all know for the addictive, catchy and arguably over-played song on the radio, “Somebody That I Used To Know,” has released a video on YouTube called “Somebodies: A YouTube Orchestra.”
For many of us, this sounds like an absolute nightmare.
But let’s face it — we love to hate the song. The two guys in the video, “That Gotye Song,” sum up the thoughts of just about every person who has heard Gotye’s single at least a couple of times. What makes this song unique is that it doesn’t fit the mold of the usual “Top 40 Club Hit.” It’s somber. It’s vengeful. It’s intense. There’s a slight seductiveness to the song that has you listening to it again and again and again.
To be brief, “Somebody That I Used To Know” is Gotye’s tour de force.
Sure, it’s been made of fun of many times.
For example:
There have also been countless parodies and covers that make fun of Gotye’s song.
But you know what they say…. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and this phrase has never been truer in Gotye’s case.
Just through his song, he has been able to enlist a HUGE marketing/sales army. Through these memes, parodies, covers, etc. somehow EVERYONE knows about the man with the painted face that sings about his tortured feelings. Without having to pay a dime for all this Internet publicity, Gotye is the one laughing all the way to the bank.
But what is it about Gotye and his music that makes him so marketable?
First of all, “Somebody That I Used To Know” is a song to which people can actually relate. It’s not a song about “swimming in pools of money” or “partying all day, errday,” — it’s about two people who used to have feelings for each other, but after a rift occurred somewhere in their relationship, they are now strangers to each other. Any angsty teen could empathize. Through this song, Gotye is connecting with his audience on a tangible level, making them feel a little closer to him and his music.
Now let’s talk about the music video. It’s not full of beautiful people and jewelery and alcohol. In fact, it’s none of that. There are two people slowly being covered in paint against a backdrop that is also being covered in paint. It’s powerful but, at the same time, a little weird. It’s a story unfolding in a hauntingly beautiful way, which is why this video so memorable.
And it’s this uniqueness, this charisma and this personability that launched a thousand tributes to this guy, his surplus of paint and his broken heart.
What’s more is that Gotye is extremely consistent with this really wonderful reputation that he has created for himself.
On his Twitter, Gotye cracks jokes, interacts with his fans and, of course, promotes himself, his music and his tours without being too pushy about it. No, his personal account doesn’t nearly have as many followers as, say, Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, but that just says more about who Gotye is. He has an extremely loyal following (his target audience) and so far, he’s been doing just fine.
Gotye has also been experimenting with Google+. He has already held Google+ hangouts in the past and, as he has stated in a recent post, “I want to have fun with circles.” Perhaps he could help Google by using more the hangout option more as a means to connect more personally with fans and start a much-needed Google+ revolution.
But above all, Gotye puts his fans first. That’s why Gotye’s new YouTube video, “Somebodies,” could not have been uploaded at a better time. The video shows that, throughout all this “Somebody This” and “Somebody That,” he has been a tremendous sport. This intricate video, with all the snippets of parody and cover videos stitched together, attests to the “Somebody That I Used To Know” phenomenon and puts it in another perspective: Gotye’s perspective. It’s funny, profound, moving and most likely conveys all the emotions that Gotye has experienced as his song took (and still takes) the world by storm. But this video, acting as a big “Thank You” to all his fans, is a guarantee that his song will not be going away for a while.
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