This Is Basically the Soundtrack to that Beto Sex Tweet

Hozier brings all the feels with his latest churchy rock anthem, “Movement.”

Brian Lowe

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

This week: “Movement,” by Hozier (Rubyworks, 2018.)

Why we’re into it: This follow-up to 2013’s “Take Me to Church” suggests Hozier is more than a one-hit wonder.

2013 had its fair share of hits, including “Thrift Shop,” “Roar,” and that Pitch Perfect song—with its countless covers and tutorials. But one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 that year diverged from the pop-drenched path: “Take Me to Church,” a stately indie rock anthem by a newcomer to American shores, Irishman Andrew Hozier-Byrne. Inspired by his frustrations with the Catholic Church’s stance on LGBTQ rights, the song became a smash; its video helped solidify a three-week reign as number 2 on the Hot 100—just behind Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” 

Since 2014, Hozier-Byrne hasn’t released much music—just a collection of live recordings, and a song from that Tarzan reboot soundtrack. But this year he has returned with a new EP, and now, “Movement,” his latest single.

From start to finish, “Movement” is a comfortably predictable throwback to the sound that first made him a star. The backing choir is a noticeable nod to “Take Me to Church.” Also still centerstage, thankfully: that raw and intense vocal.

The vulnerability in his voice stands out to me, too, in lyrics like, “There, all of you a verb in perfect view / Like Jonah on the ocean / When you move, I’m moved.” It’s mostly a ballad, sure, but he doesn’t shy away from something heavier and more uptempo—especially towards song’s uplifting climax, which exudes self-confidence.

Hozier crafts a perfectly nostalgic winter romp, a song you’ll be playing as you prepare for the holidays—and snow! Happy Friday.

(Honorable “Friday Find” mentions: Little Mix‘s newest album, the girl powered, feminist bop laden “LM5“; Normani’s newest electro R&B track “Waves“; cupcakKe’s newest addition to her powerful rap repertoire, “Eden.”)

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with the Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

The crisis facing journalism and democracy isn’t going away anytime soon. And neither is Mother Jones, our readers, or our unique way of doing in-depth reporting that exists to bring about change.

Which is exactly why, despite the challenges we face, we just took a big gulp and joined forces with the Center for Investigative Reporting, a team of ace journalists who create the amazing podcast and public radio show Reveal.

If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

Editor-in-Chief Clara Jeffery said it well to our team recently, and that team 100 percent includes readers like you who make it all possible: “This is a year to prove that we can pull off this merger, grow our audiences and impact, attract more funding and keep growing. More broadly, it’s a year when the very future of both journalism and democracy is on the line. We have to go for every important story, every reader/listener/viewer, and leave it all on the field. I’m very proud of all the hard work that’s gotten us to this moment, and confident that we can meet it.”

Let’s do this. If you can right now, please support Mother Jones and investigative journalism with an urgently needed donation today.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate