Somebody Else (The 1975 song)

"Somebody Else" is a song by English rock band the 1975 from their second studio album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It (2016). It was released as a single on 15 February 2016.[2] Reaching a peak of number five in the US on the Alternative Songs chart, it is the band's highest-peaking single on that chart to date.[3] It also reached number 55 in the UK and number 34 in Australia. NME named it the second best song of 2016.[4] Pitchfork listed the song on their ranking of the 100 best songs of 2016 at number 74.[5] The song also appears on the soundtrack to the 2016 film The Edge of Seventeen.

"Somebody Else"
Single by the 1975
from the album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
Released	15 February 2016
Recorded	2015
Genre	Synth-pop[1]
Length	5:47
Label	Dirty Hit Interscope Polydor
Songwriter(s)	Matthew Healy George Daniel Adam Hann Ross MacDonald
Producer(s)	George Daniel Matthew Healy Mike Crossey
The 1975 singles chronology
"Ugh!" (2016) "Somebody Else" (2016) "The Sound" (2016)
Music video
"Somebody Else" on YouTube

Music video

The music video for "Somebody Else" was directed by Tim Mattia and released on 7 July 2016.[6] The video opens with an extended sequence resembling David Lynch's short film Rabbits. Lead singer Matty Healy walks into a living room in clown makeup, which was previously seen in the music video for "A Change of Heart", while another Matty sits on the couch in a collapsed position. Like in Rabbits, Healy's actions in the room seem randomly soundtracked by a studio laugh track, including whoops, hollers and applause. He removes his clown makeup, sits on the couch and speaks in an exceptionally distorted, unintelligible voice to the other Matty before leaving again.

As the song begins, the video shifts its tone by moving into colour footage. Healy tries to deal with heartbreak on a night alone, by crying, drinking, dancing and eventually having sex with a stripper in the backseat of an automobile. Towards the end, Healy seems to come to his senses and realises that not only is he hallucinating most of his interactions with others in these situations, but that some of the other people are copies of himself (in the case of the stripper, he finds himself alone in the backseat, stroking his own face and chest). The video was based on a story that Healy wrote.[6][7][8]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2016–17) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 34 Ireland (IRMA)[10] 70 Scotland (OCC)[11] 29 UK Singles (OCC)[12] 55 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[13] 20 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[14] 28 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[3] 5 US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 8 US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[16] 10

Year-end charts Chart (2016) Position US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[17] 41 Chart (2017) Position US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] 28 US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[19] 50 US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[20] 32 Chart (2019) Position Portugal (AFP)[21] 2239

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[22]	Gold	35,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[23]	Platinum	600,000
United States (RIAA)[24]	Gold	500,000
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References

1. "The Sound of Somebody Else: How the 1975 Are Changing Music - Atwood Magazine". 2 January 2018.
2. "The 1975 on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
3. "The 1975 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
4. "NME's Songs Of The Year 2016". NME. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
5. "The 100 Best Songs of 2016". Pitchfork. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
6. Legaspi, Althea (7 July 2016). "Watch the 1975's Introspective New 'Somebody Else' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
7. Denham, Jess (7 July 2016). "The 1975 new video for 'Somebody Else' sees Matt Healy have sex with himself". The Independent. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
8. Britton, Luke Morgan (8 July 2016). "Watch The 1975's Matt Healy have sex with himself in new 'Somebody Else' video". NME. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
9. "Australian-charts.com – The 1975 – Somebody Else". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
10. "Chart Track: Week 8, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
13. "The 1975 Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
14. "The 1975 Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
15. "The 1975 Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
16. "The 1975 Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
17. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
18. "Alternative Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
19. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
20. "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
21. "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
22. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2018 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
23. "British single certifications – 1975 – Somebody Else". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
24. "American single certifications – The 1975 – Somebody Else". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.