Artist Spotlight: Hozier at Sea.Hear.Now Festival, NJ

Matias Rilasciati | October 2025

13 SEPTEMBER SEA.HEAR.NOW FESTIVAL, ASBURY PARK, NJ – SETLIST:

1. Nobody's Soldier

2. Jackie and Wilson

3. Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene

4. Dinner & Diatribes

5. Would That I

6. Like Real People Do

7. Eat Your Young

8. Cherry Wine

9. Unknown/Nth

10. Work Song

11. De Selby (Part 2)

12. Francesca

13. It Will Come Back

14. Too Sweet

15. Someone New

16. Almost (Sweet Music)

17. Movement

18. Nina Cried Power

19. Take Me to Church

On 13 September, Hozier performed at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, NJ. If my math is right, this marks (give or take) his 167th performance since his third studio album, “Unreal Unearth”, came out in August 2023. Needless to say, our beloved Irish singer-songwriter has had two very busy years: alongside his UK, EU, and US tours, Hozier has had countless festival performances, reaching bigger audiences, both old and new. His setlist is a carefully crafted and balanced mix of tracks spread across his self-titled debut album, “Wasteland, Baby!” and his latest release.

It is no coincidence that he opens his set with "Nobody’s Soldier," a song featured in the 2024 extended version of “Unreal Unearth”. The lyrics, blatantly anti-war, highlight the strain of constantly witnessing pain caused by armed violence in the modern era, a clear reference to the war in Gaza, a topic the singer refuses to stay silent about. Palestinian flags and "Free Palestine" banners accompany his heartfelt performance, which he has always intended to be more than ‘just music.’

Hozier, since the very beginning of his career over a decade ago, has never hesitated to speak up against perpetrators of violence. A powerful, raw, and flawless vocal performance to the notes of "Take Me to Church" brings many to tears, as the song has become a queer anthem of resistance against oppression, resonating with a big part of his fanbase then and now. The lullaby-like guitar in "Cherry Wine" accompanies a bittersweet tale of an abusive relationship, with an emphasis on topics like domestic violence and masculinity. "Nina Cried Power," which originally features Mavis Staples, recounts Black history in the US and the fight for equality against racial injustice and hatred.

His album “Unreal Unearth” is, in its entirety, a reference to Dante’s “Inferno”: the songs address cardinal sins and their respective punishment in each of the nine circles of hell, as well as more general themes on the spectrum of human emotions and experiences. To fully grasp the magnitude of Hozier’s musical expertise, one requires more than an entry-level understanding of media literacy, but, in this case, both the journey and the destination are worthy of one’s time and effort. Let the storytelling and the music guide your imagination and dive into tales of humanity, history, the Irish language, literature, and mythology.

Hozier makes the most of a stage when it comes to performing, as emotions intertwine with talent and a compelling message is delivered: feel. Let feelings run deep, let them lead you to new places of discovery, let them spark your curiosity and fuel your sense of community. Hozier tells us to speak up, to write our own stories, and to lend our voices to those who are silenced. And so we shall do.