Hozier (Andrew Hozier Byrne)

Hozier’s music is poetic in its own justice as he takes an untraditional approach to music and songwriting. His work stems from jazz, blues, and indie-rock with touches of soul. He has made a name for himself within the music industry as someone who doesn't just play music but genuinely performs it as an extension of his own thoughts, perspectives, emotions, and experiences. He often speaks out on issues such as domestic violence, religious trauma, love as a violent act, and even important historical events that are tied to his Irish culture. His work can be seen as art as his pen work is closer to complex poetry than it is to traditional, linear storytelling.

Works such as his 2023 hit “Eat Your Young” off his album Unreal Unearth dive into the capitalistic, money-hungry society we live in where the rich get richer by sacrificing the young. Our youth are seen as expendable, a number that piles higher and higher without true care or afterthought. Within the music video, gender roles and expectations are enforced on younger generations forcefully, lives are sacrificed, and pieces of our original selves are killed off for the sake of the powerful.

In his song “Butchered Tongue”, which is also found in the same album, he speaks out on the Irish Revolution back in 1798 and the attempted genocide/ silencing of all Catholic, Gaelic-speaking, Irishmen, women, and children. He uses his music to identify with certain beliefs, stances, morals, and ethics in a way that works for him. With such, fans of his music may find themselves agreeing with most, if not all of his beliefs, which is where the deep love for an artist blooms.

So, what does Hozier represent within the folk-rock community? In my eyes, he brings a modern love and respect back for Greek Mythology and renowned literature. His latest album, Unreal Unearth, draws influence from Dante's Inferno and the Nine Circles of hell. Each song represents an overarching theme from each circle as he also manages to tie Greek mythology with it. His entire career is about questioning the bigger picture, pushing for a deeper analysis of love, war, politics, loss, and much, much more.