"Somebody That I Used To Know" was written and recorded by Gotye at his parents' house on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and is lyrically related to the experiences he has had with relationships.
The song samples Luiz Bonfá's song "Seville" from his 1967 album Luiz Bonfa Plays Great Songs.
In the United Kingdom, "Somebody That I Used To Know" spent five non-consecutive weeks at number 1.
The track became the number 1 song of 2012 on the Alternative Songs, Adult Pop Songs, and Billboard Hot 100 charts. By 22 February 2013, the song became the tenth longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, at 59 weeks on the chart.
Lewis Corner rated the song four stars out of five and described it as "a Bon Iver-styled ballad for the music-buying masses".