New Person, Same Old Mistakes

Last updated
"New Person, Same Old Mistakes"
Song by Tame Impala
from the album Currents
Released17 July 2015
Recorded2012–2015
Studio Kevin Parker's home studio,
Fremantle, Western Australia
Genre
Length6:03
Label
Songwriter Kevin Parker
Producer Kevin Parker

"New Person, Same Old Mistakes" is a song by Australian psychedelic music project Tame Impala. It was released on 17 July 2015 as the closing track for their third studio album Currents (2015).

Contents

Background and production

In a 2025 interview with Zane Lowe, Kevin Parker stated that "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" was actually a last minute addition to Currents as well as the song "Elephant" from Lonerism. [2]

Covers and legacy

Barbadian singer Rihanna covered the song for her 2016 album Anti retitling her version "Same Ol’ Mistakes". Parker said about the cover, "We’re all really happy with how the song turned out, love it!". [3] Parker gave the cover his blessing stating that he imagined “a female R&B voice” singing the song in the first place. Parker also added, “I guess it comes back to appreciating ideas being malleable and being able to imagine music in different worlds". [4]

The song was sampled in "Rockstar" by Thai rapper and singer Lisa.

The song was first performed live in 2016 at Heineken Music Hall (Now known as AFAS Live) in Amsterdam for the Currents Tour. The song has since been included on the setlist of every Tame Impala tour.

Personnel

Tame Impala

Technical

Charts

Weekly chart performance
Chart (2016)Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [5] 38
Weekly chart performance
Chart (2026)Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [6] 49

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [7] Gold35,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [8] Gold45,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [9] Platinum30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold400,000‡
United States (RIAA) [11] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Kathleen, Wong (29 January 2016). "Rihanna's Tame Impala Cover "Same Ol' Mistakes" on 'Anti' Proves She Can Do Psych-Rock". Mic. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  2. ↑ Apple Music (2025-10-15). Tame Impala: The Deadbeat Interview | Zane Lowe Interview . Retrieved 2026-09-29– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (29 January 2016). "Tame Impala Respond to Rihanna's Hypnotic Cover". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 6 September 2026.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Cirisano, Tatiana (2019-11-21). "Songs That Defined the Decade: Tame Impala's 'New Person, Same Old Mistakes'". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
  5. ↑ "Tame Impala Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 6 September 2026.
  6. ↑ "Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2025 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved October 20, 2026.
  9. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes". Radioscope. Retrieved 6 September 2026.Type New Person, Same Old Mistakes in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  10. ↑ "British single certifications – Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 6 September 2026.Select singles in the Formats field. Type New Person, Same Old Mistakes Tame Impala in the "Search:" field.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Tame Impala – New Person, Same Old Mistakes". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 6 September 2026.