Since its debut on American mainstream radio, “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Belgian-Australian singer and song writer Gotye, featuring singer Kimbra, has become incredibly popular. It has been heard on television shows like Glee and The Voice, and, in April,was the first Australian single since Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You” in 2003 to have hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100chart. Now, everything that one could possibly love about that song can be heard with a beautifully simplistic spin on it in the cover of the song recently recorded in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge by the popular band fun, with featured vocals by Paramore front Haley Williams.
What’s particularly stunning about this song is the way that it showcases the voices of Nate Ruess, lead singerof fun, and Hayley Williams. “Somebody That I Used to Know” as it was originally release by Gotye doesn’t provide an excess of instrumental sound but that is merely highlighted in fun’s cover with a minimalist piano part between verses and the simple strumming of an acoustic guitar beneath the chorus.
This cover allows listeners to get lost in the crooning and passionate singing of Nate and Hayley and it really furthers the actual message of the song. This isn’t a happy, upbeat,dance hall type song and I’m glad that instead of trying to change the song into something it’s not, fun and Hayley Williams stripped it down to each core element that makes this song a fantastic one. This cover deserves a full 5 star rating; it is exceptional.