Wouter "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980, also known professionally by his stage name Gotye (pronounced /ˈɡɒti.eɪ/), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is derived from "Gauthier", the French equivalent of "Walter" or "Wouter". His voice has been compared to those of Sting and Peter Gabriel.
Gotye has released three studio albums independently and one album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is a member of the Melbourne indie-pop trio The Basics, who have independently released three studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002. Gotye's 2011 single "Somebody That I Used to Know" reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the fifth Australian artist to do so and the second Belgian (after Soeur Sourire in 1963). He has won five ARIA Awards and received a nomination for an MTV EMA for Best Asia and Pacific Act. Gotye described himself as "less of a musician, more of a tinkerer."