SUPER-Hi and Luke Spiller Turn Heartbreak Into a Summer Anthem on “Somebody That I Used To Know”

Covering a song as culturally cemented as Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is risky business. You’re not just reworking a melody. You’re stepping into people’s memories. SUPER-Hi and Luke Spiller don’t try to out-sad the original or chase its shadow. Instead, they flip the emotional temperature entirely, transforming heartbreak into something strangely euphoric without erasing the bruise underneath.

SUPER-Hi’s production is instantly recognizable: warm synths, buoyant rhythm, and a glossy, sunlit bounce that feels built for open windows and long drives. But what keeps the track from drifting into pure escapism is Luke Spiller’s voice. He doesn’t sing this like a detached cover. He inhabits it. There’s theatrical ache in his delivery, a rock-frontman intensity that cuts through the polished EDM sheen and reminds you the story is still about loss. The tension between breezy production and wounded vocals is the whole point. It’s the sound of dancing through something you haven’t fully healed from.

Rather than recreating the icy minimalism of the original, this version expands the emotional palette. The chorus lifts instead of collapsing. The pain glows instead of freezing. It reframes the song as a memory you’ve learned to live with rather than a wound that’s still bleeding. That subtle shift gives the cover its identity. It’s not trying to replace the classic. It’s asking what heartbreak sounds like years later, after time has softened the edges.

The black-and-white video leans into that reflection. Watching Spiller drift along empty English roads with only the sea and his thoughts feels intimate and cinematic, a deliberate contrast to SUPER-Hi’s usual sun-drenched aesthetic. Stripping the visuals of color puts the focus back on motion and mood. He’s not chasing closure. He’s coexisting with the memory, letting it ride shotgun.

What could have been a nostalgia grab ends up feeling like a conversation between past and present. SUPER-Hi and Luke Spiller prove that reinterpretation works best when it’s fearless. They don’t preserve the song in glass. They let it breathe again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA9fdWoBLlg

What was the first conversation you had about reimagining such an iconic song, and what boundaries did you refuse to cross?

SUPER-Hi Rick:

The original is one of our favourite all-time songs; it definitely finds that heartbreak evolution vein… we always knew the hardest part of making our version would be finding someone to sing it, as soon as Luke started singing, we got chills and knew we’d found the right voice.

How did you balance honoring the emotional core of the original while reshaping it into something brighter and more cinematic?

Luke: The SUPER-Hi guys really guided me throughout the session, and we’re not shy about telling me to hold back and control my delivery. Good thing I respect them and have known them for years!

SUPER-Hi George:

We’ve always loved this song. What makes it slightly different from our other records is the darker lyric - we’re obsessed with juxtaposition, usually happy uplifting lyrics over minor chords, and this was the other way round. 

Luke, your vocal performance feels theatrical but restrained. How did you approach singing a song already tied to such a distinct voice?

Luke:

It definitely was a challenge for me, but in the best way possible. I’m so used to putting so much energy into a vocal. I have to say it was honestly refreshing to approach recording to serve the song and the feel, the best we could. 

SUPER-Hi, your production usually leans sun-soaked and colorful. Why did the visual world for this release go black-and-white?

SUPER-Hi George:

When we spoke to Luke, he had a clear vision for the aesthetic, which was in line with the lyric. He’s such an amazing artist, and we trust wherever he wants to take it, in the same way that he trusts us to get what we want sonically. Needless to say, we love the visuals!

Do you see this cover as nostalgia, reinvention, or a statement about how heartbreak evolves over time? 

SUPER-Hi

The nostalgia comes from the familiarity of the original, the reinvention is the sonic twist we gave the record, which gives a more hopeful feel, highlighting heartbreak evolving, so I guess we’d have to say all 3!