Have a listen:
It’s not very often that new music leaves an impression on me. I find that most are “quick hits” with a relatively repetitive melody and an autotuned voice (am I being too harsh?) Now and then, however, a track pops up that dominates my weekly setlist. “Too Sweet” by Hozier is unequivocally one of them.
Hozier shot to fame in 2013 with his debut-single “Take Me to Church”, which, surprisingly enough, fell short of first place on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No 2 in December 2014 (Taylor Swift was already queen of the charts a decade ago evidently). It became a massive hit and was certified multi-platinum in several countries.
After a relatively quiet decade, he resurfaced with his EP Unheard in March, which featured four songs recorded but cut from the track list of his 2023 album Unreal Unearth. Well, “Too Sweet” became an instant banger, earning the singer’s first No 1 hit in the Billboard Hot 100, while also topping the charts in Australia, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
I mean, how could it not top the charts. The intro’s sexy bassline sets the mood. And it just keeps getting better. It’s a song of rejection from someone who’s a slave to their impulses to someone who has their life together.
There’s nothing “sweet” about it. It’s upbeat and catchy, but dingy and sensual. Hozier’s husky, intoxicating voice just adds the cherry on top.
In a recent interview with Variety, Hozier commented on the immense success of the song, “I didn’t see it coming to this extent, for sure. I knew I wanted to release the song. I knew it was fun. It’s a song that did not (come out originally) because there was a choice between two songs for the album, and “Too Sweet” was kind of placed to the side. So I didn’t necessarily expect this kind of reaction.”
