Look, I love the fae jokes. Hozier looks like he was pulled from a bog after a 1,500 year nap. His lyrics are poetic and morbid and romantic in a very other worldly way.

BUT

He’s right. Hozier has talked A LOT about how his music could not, would not exist without decades of innovation and creativity by Black artists. His entire style is based on soul and gospel and blues, WHICH ARE GENRES CREATED BY BLACK PEOPLE.

“My first introduction to music [was] Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, the music that my dad used to play in the house. From there, I just fell in love with the music coming out of black America. A lot of my folk influences would be coming from Ireland. There is absolutely no rock and roll without blues music. There is no blues music without one of the most horrendous atrocities of human trafficking in the last few centuries. It is, of course, a really difficult subject. Everything that’s popular music swings off the work and the achievements and the legacy of black artistry…”

So while I love the fae bog man jokes, we have to acknowledge the tremendous influence of Black artists. There’s no Hozier without Black music.

🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

If yall couldn’t hear this in Work Song idk what to tell you. I really wish people could see past their imposed aesthetics of him and join the conversation he’s using his privileged to start.

Work Song is literally named after another song notably sang by Nina Simone

In fact, Hozier’s song Nina Cried Power (the title of which mainly refers to her singing “Power!” in the bridge of Sinnerman, I think) straight up lists several of his musical influences in the lyrics [link], and he says so himself [link].

And y’all should really listen to any and all artists Hozier mentions, they are excellent.

Someone (not me) made a playlist that compiles a bunch of musicians and music that Hozier has said inspired him, it’s great and y’all should have a listen. 

for those of you who are ignorant of hozier’s hibernation habits

due to the overwhelming response i’d like to make some formal amendments to this list. straight people are now also banned from listening to:

• børns
  
• kesha, creator of fun
  
• cobra starship (again, may they rest in peace)
• brand new
• hayley kiyoko, pioneer of neon wlw aesthetics
  
• ariana grande
• britney spears, the inventor of pop
• years and years 
• weezer
• cher (by extension straight people can no longer watch Burlesque (2010, dir. Steven Antin)

thank you for your time! :)

a third amendment, by popular request

• pvris
  
• the front bottoms
  

Thank you so very much for trying to control my music tastes JUST because I am straight but, no, I will listen to whatever the hell I want thank you very much.

you can listen to whatever you want !!! as long as it’s not on the list of things that straighties can’t listen to. thanks for ur understanding!!!

I’m sorry but no can do. If I go a day without MCR it will be the day I die.😂😂😂

ok! i guess it’s time for you to die!