Take Me To Church by Hozier was one of the loveliest – and most important – songs of 2014. The socially critical number was quickly used as a polemic against religious hypocrisy regarding women’s rights and homosexuality, but it is also a celebration of freedom and humanity. Not exactly a recipe for commercial success, but the song was nonetheless a huge hit for the Irish singer-songwriter, due in part to the captivating – almost desperate – gospel vocals and the beautiful musical arrangement. Hozier‘s self-titled debut album was released last year. He describes his creative process as playing with fire, wrestling with demons and struggling with life’s contradictions. He says that only when his mind is at peace can he stop writing. For our sake – if not his – we can only hope that for this musical phenomenon tranquility is short lived.
