Many artists make music with the sole purpose of making money, but that was not Hozier’s idea when he wrote Take Me to Church . The aim was not to get it into the church, because he never imagined that his style and sound would be mainstream enough for that to happen.
During an interview, the Irish singer-songwriter admitted that getting up there is positive for a different sound and different values. Diffuser reports that he said that so many people complain about the Top 10, but Take Me to Church getting into it is great news for the complainers. It shows that others can do it, too.
While speaking, he never meant any malice to the artists who want to get their music in the charts. There are many reasons for artists to make it into the charts, and once that happens there is then the aim to stay there and to do it again with the next single. “Take Me to Church” is Hozier’s first single, but he is trying not to push for the charts again when writing again. He admitted that he is conscious of changing his values because of the lure of the charts.
“The danger is that, once you’re there it can be difficult to come back; you feel like you have to do it again. I’m very conscious of that, very watchful of myself. Songwriting can’t be about that. It means so much more; it’s mortal combat.”
Hozier is battling to stay true to his values and preferences. His manager currently wants him to change his appearance to suit the current expectations of mainstream music. His manager and label want him to keep his hair loose while performing, but he likes to perform with it tied back. It is a difficult industry to work in, especially for artists that have their own styles that they want to keep.
Before “Take Me to Church,” he even had issues with labels trying to turn him into a pop singer. According to People , during his earlier years, people tried to turn him into an X-Factor pop star, but he stuck to his guns to become a singer-songwriter . So far, he has managed to stay true to his values, even if it meant not possibly making as much money from his music.
His music also has a deeper meaning. It is not all about love and breakups. Hozeri’s single is about sex, and his whole album is enough to make the Catholic Church angry. He wanted to create something real and something that meant more to him. It certainly seems to be paying off, and it could be great news for others who want to follow similar values as Hozier did with “Take Me to Church .”
[Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images ]