Hozier – Too Sweet (Single Review)

In March 2024, the Ireland-based artist known as Hozier (Andrew John-Hozier-Byrne) dropped his new single “Too Sweet” from his 2024 EP “Unheard”. His new EP is a follow-up to his platinum eponymous debut album (2014), his EP “Nine Cried Power” (2015), his second album “Wasteland, Baby!” (2019), and his third studio album “Unreal Unearth” (2023). The single “Two Sweet”, was released on March 22, 2024, and recently topped the Billboard single charts in Ireland, the US, and the UK. This song is the artist’s first number one single, following his mega-hit “Take Me to Church” (2013) which surprisingly only peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

The songs on the new Unheard EP are left over from the studio album Unreal Unearth. The songs that didn’t make it on that album for one reason or another. Too Sweet is one of those songs, maybe, since it’s become a number one single, it should have made the cut? In talking about the songs on the new Unheard EP, Hozier has said the songs still fit the theme of the Unheard Unreal album which he describes as “gluttony, limbo, violence and the outward ascent.” as “gluttony, limbo, violence and the outw

With that background on this well-known artist and his intent behind the songs, let’s dive into his newest single “Two Sweet”.

The song catches your attention immediately with the driving and funky bass line that begins the song. Accompanied by a drum beat hitting on the same time. Enter Hozier’s heavily-reverbed voice dropping a two sweet melody keeping the same syncopation. The sound is definitely big and compels you to sing along. Catchy hooks and melodies are a staple for Hozier. I remember singing along with Take Me to Church when it first came out, and I’m singing along with this new single as well.

The first verse describes two different lifestyles – one of the late night working musician juxtaposed against the early to rise, eager beaver, lifestyle of his protagonist. The first meanders through the melody syncing over the thumping bass line and a cleverly crafted pre-chorus which then drops into the main chorus: “I take my whiskey neat, my coffee black and my bed at three, you’re too sweet for me, you’re too sweet for me.” It’s as if the artist is defending his life-style choices and mulling over his reasons for not wanting to continue this relationship, which, as a late-sleeper musician myself, I can highly appreciate. The song conjures up visions of too very different worlds colliding. And climaxing with the memorable chorus hook “you’re too sweet for me.”

As a songwriter myself, I love the rhyme-scheme Hozier employs in this song. One line falls into the next. The song is expertly crafted and flows. It reminds me of songs I love by the Arctic Monkeys and the Black Keys. The subtle background vocals in the pre-chorus and chorus add life to the track. The second verse, pre-chorus, and chorus follow the same expertly-crafted form. And really, who doesn’t take their whiskey neat? The background vocals really stand out during the bridge which falls nicely back into the final chorus. The song then ends very abruptly, maybe even too abruptly as I’d like to hear more of this sweet song.

Score/Outstanding. Overall, this song rocks! I love that is unfolds as a sing-along and the lyrics are expertly-crafted. The funky bass line and syncopation really makes this song memorable. The song ends abruptly and leaves you wanting more. You can’t ask much more of a single!

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]