In mid-August 2024, Irish musician Hozier released his second EP (extended play) of 2024. Like ‘Unheard’, his first EP of the year (covered in an article in the 2023-2024 school year), ‘Unaired’ contains songs that Hozier wrote around the time of his latest album released in 2023, ‘Unreal Unearth’. The EP is composed of three tracks: ‘Nobody’s Soldier’, ‘July’, and ‘That You Are’ (featuring Syrian-American singer Bedouine), with both ‘Nobody’s Soldier’ and ‘July’ having been teased on social media weeks before ‘Unaired’ dropped; Hozier even performed ‘Nobody’s Soldier’ live pre-release at Lollapalooza.
The announcements of the EP were met with much anticipation. ‘Unaired’ dropped at 11:00 P.M. CST on August 15, 2024. The three songs were quickly pounced upon by ecstatic Hozier fans, scared that they wouldn’t see another Hozier album or EP for the next decade. following his trend of a release promptly succeeded by months to years of musical silence. (Not nearly as bad as George R. R. Martin’s failure to publish the last two A Song of Ice & Fire books, though.)
‘Nobody’s Soldier’ is an anti-war anthem. Hozier expresses much dislike of war and wartime throughout this song: “I don’t wanna choose between being a salesman or a soldier / Just let me look a little older” and “Honey, I’m taking no orders / Gonna be nobody’s soldier”. These lyrics create very anti-war, anti-conflict type imagery. Hozier rails against the common parts and pieces of war, like collateral damage and loss of freedom. The song is, overall, a statement and a piece of musical activism. It fits with Hozier’s history of making activist and social statements through music, like with his songs ‘Nina Cried Power’ and ‘Swan Upon Leda’.
‘July’ is the next track. A sister song to ‘Unheard’ track ‘Wildflower and Barley’, it was written by Hozier during the quarantine months of 2020. ‘July’ is about the hopefulness Hozier fostered when the Irish government told the public that July 2020 would be the month COVID restrictions were released (though this was eventually pushed back), resulting in Hozier’s excitement and hope. ‘July’ is an ode to the months of summer as well: “And July is still coming / Just knowing that’s getting me through”.
Finally, ‘That You Are’, a collaboration between Hozier and the Syrian-American artist Bedouine, is a relaxing, slow tune full of serenity and tranquility. It is a song between two lovers, a sweet and sometimes uncertain work: “But I’d be / Anywhere that you are, that you are”. Bedouine’s otherworldly voice mixes fantastically with Hozier’s voice. They create a special blend of rich vocals and meaningful lyrics that, if not careful, could put one to sleep.
The loud anger of ‘Nobody’s Soldier’, the upbeat pep of ‘July’, and the tranquil rhythm of ‘That You Are’ combine to create a very compelling extended play.
