April 26, 2012 17:24

Gotye: 'There are days when I'm sick of 'Somebody That I Used To Know''

Australian singer-songwriter says he doesn't feel like he 'owns' his mega-hit anymore

Photo: Derek Bremner/NME

Gotye has admitted that he sometimes gets sick of his huge hit 'Somebody That I Used To Know', telling NME "there's only so many times you can listen to one song".

The track, which you can see the video for by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking, is the biggest selling single of the year so far in the UK and has hit the Number One spot in 18 countries.

The singer, whose real name is Wouter De Backer, told NME: "Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit sick of it. My inbox, on any given day, has at least five covers or parodies or remixes of it and there's only so many times you can listen to the one song."

But, he added, he doesn't feel like the track is a burden just yet and that he still enjoys playing the track live:

I like the fact that people are still discovering it and I don't feel like it's a noose around my neck. But at the same time, I do wonder how many times you can listen to the same piece of music. I can't think of any song that's ever been picked up like this and I do feel like saying to people sometimes 'Come on guys, there are other songs out there'.

'Somebody That I Used to Know' has been picked up by so many people that he doesn't feel ownership over it anymore, he says: "It had an energy that wasn't like anything I've put out before. I don't really feel like it belongs to me anymore. Everybody else kind of owns it now, especially with there being so many cover versions and parodies."

Gotye is unsure whether he can follow up the track with another smash hit like it: "I don't know," he says. "Time will tell. I don't know whether I can or whether I want to."

Gotye is currently touring the US.

Video: Gotye - 'Somebody That I Used To Know'

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