Gotye << goh tee YAY >> (1980-…) is a Belgian-Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. He is known for creating music from sampling. Sampling involves incorporating sounds or music from other recordings into one’s own work. Gotye’s 2011 song “Somebody that I Used to Know” reached number one on the singles charts in many countries. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it was the top-selling single for 2012. The duet featured vocals by Gotye and the New Zealand singer and guitarist Kimbra . Gotye and Kimbra won Grammy Awards in 2013 for record of the year and best pop duo/group performance for the song. Gotye also won a Grammy in 2013 for best alternative music album for Making Mirrors (2011), his third album, which featured the hit.
Gotye was born on May 21, 1980, in Bruges, a city in the Belgian region called Flanders . His real name is Wouter De Backer. His mother, a French teacher, gave him the nickname Gotye when he was a child. The name comes from Gauthier, the French equivalent of his Flemish first name, Wouter. People who live in Flanders are called Flemings and speak Dutch. De Backer moved with his family to Australia when he was 2 years old. While in high school, he sang with a rock group called Downstares. After the group broke up, he began experimenting with electronic music . He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne.
In 2001, De Backer released an EP that he recorded himself under the name Gotye. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. It was re-released with other songs as Boardface in 2003. In 2002, Gotye formed a group called the Basics with the Australian singer-songwriter Kris Schroeder. The group released several albums. Gotye’s second album, Like Drawing Blood, was released in Australia in 2006. The songs “Learnalilgivinanlovin” and “Hearts a Mess” became hits in Australia. The album later became a hit in the United Kingdom. It was released in the United States in 2012.
