What's The Song In The 2023 Google Plants Commercial & Why Does It Sound Familiar?

Google: It's more than just a search engine. It's also an app, and a new commercial from the company highlights the new Lens feature. Using your smartphone, you can point the device toward whatever object you want more information on. The ad showcases Lens by having a woman walk through a plant nursery, and she can look up reviews of each individual plant to see which one is right for her. It's a fun way to show off the feature, and it's accompanied by a soothing, relaxing song that should be familiar to plenty of viewers. So, what is the Google commercial song of 2023? 

The track in question is "Only You" by Yazoo (or Yaz as they were often referred to in the States). It was the first single from the British synth-pop duo in 1982 and has arguably remained the band's calling card ever since. It peaked at #67 on the U.S. Hot 100 Billboard charts but saw much better rankings in the U.K. It's been remixed several times, and some famous artists have covered it over the years, including Kylie Minogue and Selena Gomez. From those opening beats, it's easily recognizable, which is likely why this isn't the first time it's been used in a piece of media. 

The song in the 2023 Google plant commercial fits the theme perfectly. Its simple melody provides an air of reminiscence, as though someone is looking back on fonder moments in life. For this reason, it's no surprise to see the track continually emerge throughout pop culture. 

Perhaps the most recognizable usage of the song came in the finale of the U.K. version of "The Office." Unlike its American counterpart, that series only lasted for 14 episodes, and the conclusion finally saw Tim (Martin Freeman) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) kiss. They definitely get to the point quicker than Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam's (Jenna Fischer) relationship, and it's punctuated with "Only You." You can also find it in movies like "The Chocolate War" and "Can't Hardly Wait," but most recently, it was featured in the credits of "The Great" Season 3, Episode 8 — "Peter and the Wolf."

All these decades later and "Only You" by Yazoo has remained a consistent part of the cultural consciousness. And it's received an even further boost thanks to its inclusion in the latest Google commercial, which has already amassed over 30 million views. One thing is sure: few songs have managed to capture the essence of the '80s as well as this one.