Hozier Seeks 'Someone New' in Somber New Video
by Jon Blistein
Rising pop-soul proprietor Hozier pays tribute to the rush and drag of fickle feelings in the new video for “Someone New,” a track off the Irish musician’s self-titled debut.
The clip stars Natalie Dormer — known to many as Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones — as a woman whose mercurial tendencies mask an overwhelming loneliness. Dormer locks lips with various partners throughout the clip while Hozier, in silhouette, performs “Someone New,” a charming, swinging number with a dark tint that emerges each time our heroine stares longingly into the distance, confronting her own solitude.
It’s been a busy two years for Hozier, who began garnering attention in 2013 after releasing the harrowing video for “Take Me to Church.” The video arrived amidst furor over Russia’s anti-gay legislation and depicted a gay couple being pursued and beaten by a mob. Hozier took the Saturday Night Live stage the following year and later teamed up with Annie Lennox at the Grammys in February for a performance of “Take Me to Church” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic, “I Put a Spell on You.”
"Take Me to Church" is currently situated in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and in an interview with Rolling Stone last October — ahead of his SNL debut — the staid musician spoke about keeping his cool during his quick rise.
"There was a moment the other day of watching a promo of Bill Hader go, ‘I’m hosting SNL this week with musical guest Hozier,’ and thinking about how I’d spent years watching that happen to other musicians,” Hozier said. “I try not to think about until, like, a week later. When I do any sort of TV, I just take a deep breath and breeze through it. But then a week goes by and I go, ‘Jesus fucking Christ, did that happen?!’”
