Artist of the Week: Kimbra

 

Last year, New Zealand pop eccentric Kimbra gained her first real exposure in America -- exposure being the operative word. The 21-year-old singer appears on Aussie riser Gotye's breakout 2011 single 'Somebody That I Used to Know,' and in the video, both wear nothing but body paint and the pained expressions of scorned lovers.

It's a memorable clip reminiscent of classic stop-motion vids by Peter Gabriel -- an artist to whom Gotye is often compared -- and even though it required her to bare all, Kimbra knew it was for the greater good.

"It was pretty nerve-wracking on the day of the shoot," she tells Spinner, checking in from Australia days before hopping a plane to play SXSW and embark on her first-ever U.S. tour.