Someone New (Hozier song) explained

Someone New
Cover:File:Someone_New_Art.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Hozier
Album:Hozier
Released:2 March 2015
Recorded:2013
Prev Title:Work Song
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:Jackie and Wilson
Next Year:2015

"Someone New" is a song recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier for his 2014 eponymous debut studio album. It was released on 2 March 2015 as the fifth single from the record and peaked at number 13 on the Irish Singles Chart. An accompanying music video was released featuring actress Natalie Dormer.

Writing and composition

"Someone New" is a pop-soul song listed as the fourth track on the album, written by Hozier and Sallay Matu Garnett.[1] [2] It was the oldest song from Hozier's previous demos to make it onto the album; he has stated that it is the track that "resonated with him the least" by release.[3] The song has indie-rock influences with a pizzicato bass, distorted chord progressions, and choral harmonies intertwined with echoing vocals.[4] [5] The lyrics are tongue-in-cheek and have an "overarching theme of love and theistic conflict" and are described as "uplifting" and a confession of his "wandering ways", describing the act of falling in love with strangers.[6] Hozier has stated that it is a "love song [...] about love at its most empty and vacuous and futile."[7] [8] [9]

Critical reception

"Someone New" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with The A.V. Club describing the song as "soulful" and "vintage" and Exclaim! stating that "...while the grandeur of Hozier's majestic vocals explore atmospheric heights, they also plunge cavernous depths as he taps into things primeval and animalistic."[8] The Irish Times praised the track for its "small touches" and "spectral choir", while The Arts Desk gave poor feedback, negatively comparing its guitar work to a James Morrison track.[10] [11]

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs Chart, and appeared within the top thirty on the Billboard Adult Contemporary, Adult Top 40, Alternative Airplay, and Rock Airplay charts, respectively.[12] "Someone New" peaked at number 13 on the Irish Singles Chart and scored charting positions in the United Kingdom, Scotland and Canada.[13] [14] [15] [16]

Music video

The official music video for "Someone New" was released on 2 March 2015. It stars actress Natalie Dormer, while Hozier appears only in silhouette.[17] The video shows Dormer's character as a "women whose mercurial tendencies mask an overwhelming loneliness", traveling through the Underground toward the streets of London. She repetitively imagines having romantic encounters and exchanges with fellow passengers and passers-by, while Hozier performs the song in a local pub.[18] [19] It has garnered over 86 million views on YouTube.[20]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Iceland (Tonlist)[21] 4
Switzerland Airplay (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 77

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Rank
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23] 100
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 40
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[25] 10
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[26] 15

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom[27] 11 May 2015Contemporary hit radio
United States[28] 19 May 2015Modern rock radioColumbia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hozier learning to enjoy his newfound fame . Detroit Press . 10 January 2021.
  2. Web site: Someone New . AllMusic . 10 January 2021.
  3. Web site: Hozier on Seamus Heaney, Maltesers and why Nina Simone turns his brain inside out . The Guardian . 10 January 2021 . 18 Feb 2019.
  4. Web site: Hozier – Hozier (album review) . March 3, 2015 . Michele . Johnson. Cryptic Rock . 6 January 2021.
  5. News: Hozier, Hozier, review: 'glorious and uplifting' . 6 January 2021 . The Telegraph . 6 October 2014 . Helen . Brown.
  6. Web site: Hozier: Hozier . Pop Matters . 6 January 2021 . 4 February 2015 . Lawrence . Pearce.
  7. Web site: Hozier's success means great things for the future of music . Vox . 10 January 2021 . Apr 21, 2015 . Kelsey . McKinney.
  8. Web site: Hozier Hozier . Exclaim! . 11 January 2021 . Oct 7, 2014 . Mackenzie . Herd.
  9. Web site: Hozier's 'Someone New' Video Is An Ode To Rebounds . https://web.archive.org/web/20150304180030/http://www.mtv.com/news/2094166/hozier-someone-new-video/ . dead . March 4, 2015 . MTV . 11 January 2021 . March 2, 2015 . Brenna . Ehrlich.
  10. Web site: Album Choice – Hozier: Hozier (Review) . Brian . Boyd . . 19 September 2014 . 1 November 2014.
  11. Web site: H. Green. Thomas. 30 September 2014. CD: Hozier – Hozier. The Arts Desk. 22 November 2014.
  12. Web site: Hozier . Billboard . 11 January 2021.
  13. Web site: Someone New . Irish Charts . 11 January 2021.
  14. Web site: Hozier Chart History . Billboard.
  15. Web site: Top 100 . Scottish Singles.
  16. Web site: Official Singles Top 100 . OC.
  17. Web site: Hozier Recruits 'Game of Thrones' Actress for 'Someone New' Video . Billboard . 11 January 2021.
  18. Web site: Hozier Premieres "Someone New" Music Video Starring 'Game of Thrones' Actress Natalie Dormer [WATCH] ]. Music Times . 11 January 2021.
  19. Web site: Hozier Seeks 'Someone New' in Somber New Video . Rolling Stone . 11 January 2021.
  20. Web site: Hozier - Someone New. YouTube. 2 March 2015. HozierVEVO. Hozier (musician).
  21. http://www.tonlist.is/Music/Chartlist/267 Lagalistinn
  22. Web site: Schweizer Airplay Charts 20/2015 - hitparade.ch . hitparade.ch . 25 February 2022.
  23. Web site: End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2015. Official Charts Company. 25 September 2018.
  24. Web site: Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2015. Billboard. 25 September 2018.
  25. Web site: Adult Alternative Songs – Year-End 2015. Billboard. 25 September 2018.
  26. Web site: Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2015. Billboard. 25 September 2018.
  27. News: Game of Thrones Natalie Dormer in Hozier video Someone New . 3 March 2015 . . . 3 March 2015 . Kyriazis, Stefan.
  28. Web site: Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases . All Access Music Group . 30 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150423232056/http://www.allaccess.com/alternative/future-releases . live . 23 April 2015.