Unreal Unearth | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 August 2023 | |||
Recorded | March 2021 – February 2023 [1] | |||
Length | 62:22 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Hozier chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Unreal Unearth | ||||
Unreal Unearth is the third studio album by Irish musician Hozier, released on 18 August 2023. It contains the singles "Eat Your Young" and "Francesca", along with the song "All Things End". Hozier toured Ireland, the UK, North America, Australia, and New Zealand in support of the record from June 2023 to November 2024. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, and debuted at number one on the Irish and UK charts.
Hozier wrote the album during the COVID-19 pandemic and stated it was his way of "mak[ing] sense of the experience of the last two years". It was inspired by Dante's Inferno , which he began reading at the time; he framed the album around Dante's concept of the nine circles of Hell. He called the album "quite eclectic" and stated that there is "something of a retrospective in what the sounds lean into". He also said that the three tracks on the preceding Eat Your Young EP were "not representative of the entire album". [1] Hozier also draws from characters and logic seen in Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman . [4] Unreal Unearth as a whole signifies a journey through Dante's nine circles of Hell and coming out at the other side, with each song referring to a specific "universal theme" or feeling. [5]
The album features Hozier writing and singing lyrics in the Irish language for the first time. [6] In an interview with The Irish Times , he said that "there's so much that cannot be expressed outside of that language, that language can express that we're unaware of". [7] The track "Butchered Tongue" refers to attempts by the British administration to destroy the Irish language through colonialism. [8]
On 14 March 2024, Hozier announced the Unheard EP, which includes four songs originally recorded for Unreal Unearth: "Too Sweet", "Wildflower and Barley", "Empire Now", and "Fare Well". The tracks represent the stages of gluttony, limbo, violence, and ascent, respectively, from Dante's Inferno, but did not make the final cut for the album. [9]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10 [10] |
Metacritic | 76/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [12] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [13] |
Mojo | [14] |
NME | [15] |
Paste | 8.2/10 [16] |
Pitchfork | 5.0/10 [17] |
The Skinny | [18] |
Uncut | 7/10 [19] |
Unreal Unearth received a score of 76 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 14 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. [11] Caitlin Chatterton of The Line of Best Fit found that "as well as uplifting Irish culture, the album is keen to demonstrate that Hozier is well versed in the classics" and concluded that "from the folk twang of 'First Time' to the torrential clapping on 'Anything But', this is a Hozier album to the hilt: considered, earnest, and moving". [13] Rho Chung of The Skinny remarked that "Hozier's far-reaching vocal range is on full display" on the album, which Chung called "an eclectic and meandering meditation on love at a time in which our continued existence often feels at odds with the planet's". [18]
CT Jones of Rolling Stone stated that "Hozier doesn't just succeed in exploring that dark emotional world; his painful ascent makes the listener immediately want to climb with him. Even harder, he successfully delivers a third album that doesn't shy away from any topic, even when he doesn't have the answers." [20] Maddison Ryan of Exclaim! described the album as "a journey" that "even without prior knowledge of the album's roots in classic literature, it feels part of a greater mythology", ultimately calling it "the kind of music that people can escape into; the soundtrack to feelings not even Heaven can hold". [12]
Aliya Chaudhry of NME remarked that Unreal Unearth "traverses a variety of styles from softer piano ballads like 'Butchered Tongue' to up-tempo folk-pop 'Anything But' and fuzzy-guitar rock stomp 'Francesca'", making the album "a product of going where the song takes you". [15] Uncut complimented tracks as well, writing that "'De Selby Part 2' shows he can stylishly bring funk and R&B influences to bear. But most distinctive are the Afrobeat touches that lace 'Damage Gets Done' and 'Anything But'". [19]
Sam Eeckhout of Paste stated that the album is "packed full of poetic lyricism, heavyhearted remorse, hopeful anticipation and an honest expression of the joys and sorrow of being a human" and has "a sharp balance" that makes it "never top-heavy" nor "ever stagnant". [16] Mojo wrote that "Hozier's audacity can feel outsized and overbearing, but his tandem of earnestness and eccentricity here is more winning than not". [14] Pitchfork 's Peyton Thomas described the album as a "mishmash of mythology and past-date pop that leaves [Hozier] sounding like an interloper". [17]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
The A.V. Club | The 27 Best Albums of 2023 | 22 | |
American Songwriter | American Songwriter's Top 17 Albums of 2023 | — | |
Billboard | The 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List | 27 | |
The Daily Telegraph | The 10 Best Albums of 2023 | 9 | |
HuffPost | The Best Albums of 2023 | — | |
Esquire | The 20 Best Albums of 2023 | 3 |
Hozier announced the Unreal Unearth tour on 17 March 2023, alongside the release of the Eat Your Young EP. [27] The initial leg of the tour spanned across North America and Europe from June through December 2023. On 9 November 2023, Hozier announced a second leg of the United States tour, adding 37 new dates between April and September 2024; [28] 14 new shows were later added on 29 January 2024 [29] followed by an additional 6 dates announced on 29 February 2024. The Teskey Brothers, Victoria Canal, Madison Cunningham, Brittany Howard, Lord Huron, and The Last Dinner Party joined Hozier as openers during the initial leg of the tour. Hozier also brought his father, John Byrne, on stage to perform in the encore during the September 30, 2023 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Allison Russell is set to open on the second US leg of the tour. [28] An Australian and New Zealand leg of the tour was announced on 11 March 2024, with Joy Oladokun as the opening act. [30]
The Unreal Unearth Tour setlist included songs from the Unreal Unearth, Wasteland, Baby! , and Hozier albums. The main set openers included songs "De Selby (Part 1)" and "De Selby (Part 2)". "Take Me to Church" and "First Light" closed the set. "Work Song" functioned as the show's encore.
Hozier worked with Production Designer Steven Douglass and Tour Director Duchess Iredale to create the Unreal Unearth tour visuals. The show focuses heavily on the use of projections and lighting. The main stage background features animated projections on a piece of metal mesh; the projections follow the album's journey underground and into Hell. [31]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "De Selby (Part 1)" | Andrew Hozier-Byrne |
| 3:39 |
2. | "De Selby (Part 2)" |
|
| 3:47 |
3. | "First Time" |
|
| 3:53 |
4. | "Francesca" |
|
| 4:30 |
5. | "I, Carrion (Icarian)" |
|
| 3:16 |
6. | "Eat Your Young" |
|
| 4:02 |
7. | "Damage Gets Done" (with Brandi Carlile) |
| 4:28 | |
8. | "Who We Are" |
|
| 4:05 |
9. | "Son of Nyx" |
|
| 3:19 |
10. | "All Things End" |
|
| 3:33 |
11. | "To Someone from a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)" |
|
| 4:00 |
12. | "Butchered Tongue" | Hozier-Byrne |
| 2:29 |
13. | "Anything But" |
|
| 3:45 |
14. | "Abstract (Psychopomp)" |
|
| 4:04 |
15. | "Unknown / Nth" | Hozier-Byrne | Hozier-Byrne | 4:40 |
16. | "First Light" |
|
| 4:52 |
Total length: | 62:22 |
Note
Musicians
Technical
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Poland (ZPAV) [59] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [60] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [61] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
The Id is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Macy Gray. It was released on September 17, 2001, by Epic Records. The album was not as commercially successful as its predecessor, On How Life Is, in the United States, where it debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 with 93,000 copies sold in its first week. As of January 2004, it had sold 593,000 copies in the US. Elsewhere, The Id topped the charts in the United Kingdom and Denmark, while reaching the top five in Australia, Italy, and Switzerland.
Trustfall is the ninth studio album by American singer Pink. It was released on February 17, 2023, through RCA Records. Her first studio album since Hurts 2B Human (2019), Pink worked on the production and lyrics with Fred Again, David Hodges, Max Martin, Johnny McDaid, and Shellback, and others. The Lumineers, Chris Stapleton and First Aid Kit feature as guest vocalists. Sonically, Trustfall is a dance-pop record, with inclusion of various subgenres, such as pop rock and folk. Lyrically, it speaks of various subjects, including motivation, self-acceptance, loss and love.
Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes and taking political or social justice stances.
Hozier is the debut studio album by Irish musician Hozier. It was released on 19 September 2014 by Island Records and Rubyworks Records. Before the album's release, he attracted attention from his 2013 and 2014 EPs Take Me to Church (2013) and From Eden (2014), which contained songs that were later included on the album. Hozier collaborated with producer Rob Kirwan during its recording. Hozier has been described as a blues, soul and indie rock album with elements of gospel, R&B and folk music.
Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
Wonderland is the eighth studio album by English band Take That. It was released on 24 March 2017 through Polydor Records.
Only Human is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Calum Scott, released on 9 March 2018 through Capitol Records. The album was re-released in November 2018 as the "special edition" featuring four additional tracks.
Irish singer-songwriter and musician Hozier has released three studio albums, eight EPs, and 23 singles. His debut studio album, Hozier, was released in September 2014. The album peaked at number one on the Irish Albums Chart. The album includes the singles "Take Me to Church", "From Eden", "Sedated", "Work Song", "Someone New", "Jackie and Wilson" and "Cherry Wine". "Take Me to Church" achieved widespread global popularity, topping the charts in twelve countries and reaching the top ten in twenty-one other territories. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards and has been certified diamond in the US. His second studio album, Wasteland, Baby!, was released in March 2019. The album peaked at number one on the Irish Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. The album includes the singles "Nina Cried Power", "Movement", "Almost " and "Dinner & Diatribes". He released his third album Unreal Unearth in August 2023, which also topped the Irish Albums Chart and became his first number-one album in the UK.
Wasteland, Baby! is the second studio album by Irish musician Hozier, released on 1 March 2019 by Rubyworks Records. It is Hozier's first album since 2014. The album includes the songs "Nina Cried Power" and "Shrike" from the 2018 EP Nina Cried Power, as well as the single "Movement". It was promoted by a North American tour beginning in March 2019, and a European tour in late summer to fall 2019. Wasteland, Baby! debuted atop the Irish Albums Chart and the Billboard 200, and has since been certified gold in the US.
Fine Line is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, released on 13 December 2019 by Erskine and Columbia Records. The album's themes revolve around breakups, happiness, sex and sadness. The record has been described as pop rock, with elements of progressive-pop, psychedelic pop, folk, soul, funk and indie pop. It was primarily written with and produced by frequent collaborator Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon.
Brightest Blue is the fourth studio album by English singer Ellie Goulding, released on 17 July 2020 by Polydor Records. Originally scheduled for 5 June 2020, the album's release was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was preceded by three singles: "Worry About Me", "Power" and "Slow Grenade", and features guest vocals from Blackbear, Diplo, Juice Wrld, Lauv, serpentwithfeet and Swae Lee. It is Goulding's first album since Delirium (2015). Brightest Blue received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album was also a commercial success. It became Goulding's third album to peak at number one on the UK Albums Chart and fourth album to debut inside the top three on the chart. The album also peaked inside the top ten in several other countries. To promote the album, Goulding was set to embark on the Brightest Blue Tour on 28 April 2021, but it was pushed back to 5 October 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom.
C'mon You Know is the third solo studio album by English musician Liam Gallagher, released on 27 May 2022 through Warner Records. Andrew Wyatt served as the album's primary producer and co-writer. It was preceded by lead single "Everything's Electric", co-written by Dave Grohl, which charted at #18 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Gallagher's first solo single to reach the UK Top 20. "C'mon You Know", "Better Days","Diamond in the Dark", "Too Good for Giving Up" and "More Power" were also subsequently released as singles. The album was released the same day as Gallagher's second live album Down by the River Thames. Gallagher toured Europe, Oceania and Latin America in support of the album.
Stick Season is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who also served as producer alongside Gabe Simon. It was released on October 14, 2022, by Mercury Records and Republic Records. The album was supported by two singles: the title track and "Northern Attitude". An expanded edition of the album, titled Stick Season , was released on June 9, 2023, with seven additional tracks, including an extended version of "The View Between Villages". Another version of the album, titled Stick Season (Forever), was released on February 9, 2024, featuring all the collaborations and three original songs, of which two are the collaborations "You're Gonna Go Far" and "Paul Revere" and one is the single "Forever".
Higher Than Heaven is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 7 April 2023 by Polydor Records. It marks her first album in three years, since Brightest Blue (2020).
Queen of Me is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Shania Twain. The album was released on February 3, 2023, by Republic Records. It is her first album since Now (2017), and is her first to not be released with her previous label of 29 years, Mercury Nashville. The album was promoted with the release of two singles and a promotional single: "Waking Up Dreaming", "Last Day of Summer", and "Giddy Up!". Commercially, the album became her third number one album in the United Kingdom, and entered the top ten in Canada, Switzerland, Australia and the United States.
Eat Your Young is the sixth extended play (EP) by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The three-track collection was released on 17 March 2023 through Rubyworks Records, to celebrate the singer's birthday, St. Patrick's Day, the ten-year anniversary of his debut, and to tease his then-upcoming third studio album Unreal Unearth. At the time of the EP's release, all three of its songs were slated to appear on Unreal Unearth, though "Through Me " ultimately was absent from the album. Hozier performed the EP in full in a set on NPR's World Cafe on 18 March 2023.
Sunburn is the second studio album by American musician Dominic Fike, released through Sandy Boys and Columbia Records on July 7, 2023. The album was primarily produced by Jim-E Stack, Devin Workman, and Henry Kwapis.
Snow Angel is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Interscope.
Unheard is the seventh extended play (EP) by Irish musician Hozier. It was released on 22 March 2024 by Rubyworks Records and Columbia Records. It consists of four previously unreleased songs that were recorded for Hozier's third studio album Unreal Unearth (2023), but did not make the final track listing. Of the unreleased material, Hozier said in a statement that the four songs "might've made it to the circles of gluttony, limbo, violence and the outward 'ascent'", referring to Dante's Inferno, which was the inspiration for Unreal Unearth, but they did not appear on the album "for different reasons".
Bando Stone and the New World is the fifth studio album by American rapper Childish Gambino. Released on July 19, 2024, through RCA Records, it is also the soundtrack album to his upcoming film of the same name. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised its eclectic production, mature songwriting and Glover's vocal performance, but were mixed on its lack of cohesiveness.