Hozier weekly highlights include a Cork gig announcement, World Café interview and performance, and the beloved Advent calendar commentary has returned! It’s a Christmas miracle!

All this and more In A Week, our look back at Hozier highlights and happenings from the previous week.

News

Hozier announced a show at Irish Independent Park in Cork on 25 June with support, Maggie Rogers, who is also supporting him at Belsonic in Belfast on 27 June. Maggie Rogers gained attention when her song Alaska was assessed by Pharrell Williams during a master class at New York University.

The stadium is home to football in Cork and has announced a summer concert series that also includes headlining shows from George Ezra and The Coronas. Tickets went on sale 6 December.

Looking forward to playing at the Irish Independent Park in Cork with @MaggieRogers. Tickets are out on Thursday! pic.twitter.com/a7mmY1OjG4 — Hozier (@Hozier) December 3, 2018

The year-end Spotify Wrapped stats were released this week, and considering Hozier only had new songs out for 3 months of this reporting period, it’s clear that fans were thrilled to be listening to them on repeat.

Seeing a lot of tweets about @Spotify's #Wrapped2018 and just want to say thank you so much for listening. A lot more tunes coming to you early in the new year 🖤 — Hozier (@Hozier) December 6, 2018

Charts

National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States placed Nina Cried Power at #11 on their top 20 Best Songs of 2018. All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk host, Bob Boilen said, “This is an anthemic cry of both love and righteous anger.”

Meanwhile in Billboard charts, Movement placed #24 on Rock Digital Song Sales, after peaking at #4 last week.

This week’s Americana/Folk chart had Hozier at #6 after 179 weeks on that chart.

On the year-end Billboard 2018 Top Rock Albums chart, Hozier’s debut album was #38, an astounding result considering it was released in 2014. (#33 in 2017, #39 in 2016, #2 in 2015, #27 in 2014).

Appearances

Released this week: Hozier recorded an in-depth interview with Talia Schlanger at WXPN in Philadelphia last October when he and the band performed a stripped-back set of Nina Cried Power, Shrike, and Take Me To Church for World Café.

While in Copenhagen at the end of November, Hozier stopped by Nova radio and had a chat with Daniel Caesar.

Hozier and band also visited 3FM in Utrecht, Netherlands for performances of Movement and Nina Cried Power in their Livebox and a chat with host, Angelique. See videos of the interview and performances.

Prior to his two-night run in London, the Evening Standard published this excellent interview with Hozier where he talks about how some of his songs are inappropriate in the context of a wedding.

Gigs

Last week Hozier played the brand new event hall, Carlswerk Victoria, in Cologne (Köln), Germany on 3 December, and the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands on 4 December. See our gig highlights for more.

Life

It’s been a few years since Hozier treated us to his interpretations of Advent calendar chocolate. It’s long been a festive highlight for us and we are absolutely thrilled to see him bring it back this year. (Here’s our 2014-2016 recap of chocolate interpretations for you.)

A bit behind, but if anyone wants to learn more about the symbolism of the Advent Calender, I’ll be explaining on my instagram stories this year.

Friends

Irish music blog The Last Mixed Tape selected Saint Sister’s debut album, The Shape of Silence, as their album of the year. The album was co-produced by Hozier’s bassist and Musical Director, Alex Ryan.

Thank you to @TheLastMixTape for choosing 'Shape of Silence' as their record of the year. It is such a scary thing to release a big body of work into the world, especially a debut, so this really means the world to us. What brilliant company too! We are shook. X https://t.co/0ZwAKA6uzq — Saint Sister (@Saint_Sister_) December 6, 2018

Someone New co-writer, Loah, is releasing one-remixed track from her debut EP, This Heart, every Wednesday on Nialler9’s blog. This week’s track is taken from an interlude on the EP and expanded into a full song, Keep Your Heart, featuring God Knows from Rusangano Family, Bantum, Ben Bix and Dunny. Loah was also featured in a video from Other Voices after her appearance there last week.

Saint Sister, Loah, Roísin O, Bono, and many more artists are featured on a cover of Homeward Bound, the single from the album, Street Lights, to raise funds for the Peter McVerry Trust which works to help the homeless in Ireland.

Also on the album is Saint Sister’s cover of The Cranberries, Dreams, recorded live in Dolan’s Limerick.

This album is out today, featuring lots of incredible artists and for a brilliant cause. We are so delighted to have our version of ‘Dreams’ (live from Dolans, Limerick) by The Cranberries in amongst it all. https://t.co/uDWCEedb1f — Saint Sister (@Saint_Sister_) December 7, 2018

In Ireland, text STREET LIGHTS to 50300 to donate €4.

Thanks to Hozier’s Guitars contributors @Megn0481, @literarypengke, @AInabsentia, @aenroute, @FYeahHozier, Biljana J, and more.

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Featured image: Photo: @Hozier Instagram. Graphic: Hozier’s Guitars.