Hozier

Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born: ), or simply Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer, and songwritter. His music primarily consists folk, soul, and blues, often using religious and literary themes.
Hozier had his international breakthrough after releasing his debut single "Take Me to Church", which has been certified multi-platinum in several countries. In late 2022, Hozier collaborated with Bear McCreary for the song "Blood Upon the Snow", which was featured in the video game God of War: Ragnarök, and it eventually became a global sleeper hit.
==Early life==
Hozier was born in Newcastle, County Wicklow, Ireland on March 17, 1990. During his time of birth, his mother Raine Hozier-Byrne was an artist while his father John Byrne played as a blues drummer and worked a day job at a local bank. His parents were raised as Catholics but converted to the Quaker faith. Hozier once worked a job scrubbing toilets at a golf course, which he described as a required experience to get around in life. At age fifteen, Hozier began writing songs, which would later foreshadow his career. He taught himself his to play the guitar and sang in a school choir. He attended Delgany National School, but later transferred to St. Gerard's School and then studying music education at Trinity College Dublin. He was refused a year's deferral by the college after missing exams to record demos for a music label.
==Music career==
===Career beginnings===
During his tenure at Trinity College Dublin, Hozier became involved with the Trinity Orchestra. He was a member of the choral ensemble Anúna from 2007 to 2012 and appears as a soloist on their 2014 release Illuminations singing "La Chanson de Mardi Gras". He toured and sang with the group internationally, including performances in Norway and the Netherlands. Hozier played at Oxegen Festival in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he opened up for a performance for Alex Winston in Dublin. In 2012, Hozier appeared as a backup singer for Billy Ocean.
===Self-titled album===
In 2013, Hozier began playing at open mic gigs in various venues in Dublin. He eventually signed with Rubyworks Records. On July 3, 2013, Hozier released an EP titled Take Me to Church. A song on the same name of the EP released on September 13, 2013, becoming Hozier's first single, and it became an instant breakthrough, eventually being multi-platinum. On March 9, 2014, Hozier released his second EP titled From Eden.
His first studio album, named after Hozier himself, was released on September 19, 2014. The album included thirteen tracks. Seven of the tracks spawned as singles, including "Take Me to Church", "From Eden", "Sedated", "Work Song", "Someone New", "Jackie and Wilson", and "Cherry Wine". The album was certified double platinum in the United States and United Kingdom. After the album's release, Hozier went on a tour in Europe and the United States to promote his recent release.
In June 2016, Hozier released a song titled "Better Love", which was intended for the soundtrack for the movie The Legend of Tarzan. After doing so, Hozier took a hiatus for nearly a year to rest after such hard work from his releases and touring.
===Wasteland, Baby!===
On September 6, 2018, Hozier released an EP titled Nina Cried Power. The title track of the EP featured Mavis Staples as an additional vocalist. Hozier released his second studio album titled Wasteland, Baby! on March 1, 2019. The album contained fourteen tracks. Four of those tracks became singles, including "Nina Cried Power", "Movement", "Almost (Sweet Music)", and "Dinner & Diatribes". The album received average to positive reviews, being certified silver in the United Kingdom and gold in the United States. The music video of "Dinner & Diatribes" featured actress Anya Taylor-Joy.
Hozier highlighted some notable performances during his next tour. He was the closing headliner of the inaugural Railbird Festival held on the grounds of the Keeneland horse track in Lexington, Kentucky. He also headlined the Electric Picnic, a three-day festival held in Ireland on between August 30 to September 1, 2019. In June, he performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England. In August, he performed at the Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois.
In March and April 2020, Hozier did multiple live-streamed performances on social media platforms Instagram and Facebook to raise money and awareness for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which was during the time of the COVID-19 crisis. On March 27, 2020, Hozier did a show on the Late Late Show. On June 26, 2020, Hozier participated in a Raidió Teilifís Éireann fundraising special, with proceeds going towards victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 29, 2021, Hozier was a featured artist in the song "Tell It to My Heart" in collaboration with Meduza.
In late 2022, God of War: Ragnarök released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. Hozier served as a featured artist in the track "Blood Upon the Snow" in collaboration with Bear McCreary, the lead composer for the majority of the entire game's works. Hozier was fully credited for doing the vocals for "Blood Upon the Snow", and the song was the first to play during a 30-minute credits roll. A lyric video of "Blood Upon the Snow" released on November 9, 2022, which was in league with Sony Soundtracks. Hozier performed "Blood Upon the Snow" at the Game Awards merely two months after Ragnarök released. Rumors for "Blood Upon the Snow" and Hozier began to spread worldwide rapidly, where those hearing the track recommended it to be played at certain events, and the track's popularity rose to become a global sleeper hit.
==References==
Category:Irish YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2011
Category:Music YouTubers
Category:One billion views
Category:One million subscribers
Category:Two million subscribers
Category:Three million subscribers