Somebody That I Used to Know"
is a song written and recorded by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye, featuring New Zealand singer/guitarist Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand 5 July 2011 as the second single from Gotye's third studio album, Making Mirrors (2011)The music video for "Somebody That I Used To Know" directed and produced by Australian artist Natasha Pincus has been viewed over half a billion times on YouTube. It shows Gotye and Kimbra naked throughout the clip, and as they sing, his skin is gradually painted into the backdrop via stop motion animation. The painting used in the video's background, painted by Howard Clark, is based on a 1980s artwork created by Gotye's father, Frank de Backer, who also designed the cover art for the related album, Making Mirrors.
When you first watch this music video it seems very abstract and a work of art, it defiantly seems style over substance, like Michael shore's theory, stating how music videos are image and style scavengers ,recycled styles, a simulated experience and about vanity. However when you look closer at the video you see there is meaning behind the abstract and it can represent lots of different things linking with the meaning of the song. The song is about his feelings after a relationship.
At the beginning of the video the camera tilts up the side of Goyte's naked body. Starting from his foot to his head. He is naked meaning that he is open and venerable.From 0:18 to 0:48. there is no edits, within this long edit it makes us listen and focus on the lyrics he sings " Now and then I think of when we were together" Its like he is reflecting on his previous relationship and he is telling the audience about it. After this 30 seconds of no edits there is a jump cut the art starting to emerge on the walls and on his body, this could show the memories coming back to him. and his memories and feelings fitting into place he is finally coming to understand his situation and position he is in with his former girlfriend.
The starting of the paint could be his memories or it could be showing the start of there relationship, starting with the line that connected them together and the lots of lines making a puzzle, showing how the relationship had lots of different stages, hurdles and feelings.
When the paint starts to appear on his body it represents the effect she had on him, how she left him messed up and in pieces. Or it can show the confusion that he has been struggling with. The paint on his body also acts as distraction to the audience and it makes the viewers slightly puzzled too, like the paint and himself. It can also be used to mask his emotions and feelings or disguise them.
The video is very intriguing, slightly weird yet very clever. When we see the the camera zoom out to see a two shot, we see a girl who he used to be in a relationship with. She is fitting in with the paint in the background, until she gradually moves over to him leaving a
When the paint starts to appear on his body it represents the effect she had on him, how she left him messed up and in pieces. Or it can show the confusion that he has been struggling with. The paint on his body also acts as distraction to the audience and it makes the viewers slightly puzzled too, like the paint and himself. It can also be used to mask his emotions and feelings or disguise them.
The video is very intriguing, slightly weird yet very clever. When we see the the camera zoom out to see a two shot, we see a girl who he used to be in a relationship with. She is fitting in with the paint in the background, until she gradually moves over to him leaving a
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