Author’s note: This article discusses domestic violence.
Indie rock artist Hozier is no stranger to music that makes a statement. His first single and music video “Take Me to Church” confronted the very real issue of homophobia in religious and social institutions. In fact Hozier’s entire eponymous debut album Hozie, is full of songs and lyrics that tackle big issues like rape culture, sexuality, and overall humanity.
In his new video for “Cherry Wine,” Hozier continues to be vigilant in his approach to social justice with a haunting music video that tackles domestic violence in a way that shows us just how complicated it is.
The video, starring actress Saoirse Ronan, introduces us to what appears to be a happy and loving couple, unable to keep their hands off of each other. However, the video slowly reveals that what we see on the outside isn’t always the whole truth. The chilling depiction is already gaining momentum on social media with almost one million hits on YouTube in its first few days after release.
On his website, Hozier shares that “Cherry Wine” was originally written from the perspective of a male survivor of domestic abuse. Of the song he says, “…I tried to get across the difficulty of coming to terms with and facing up to domestic violence and the dynamic of an abusive relationship.”
As a part of the #FaceUpToDomesticViolence campaign, Hozier and his label are donating the proceeds from each download of “Cherry Wine” on iTunes to 23 international domestic abuse charities, including Women’s AID in the UK, the Canadian Women’s AID, and the Argentinian chapter of UNICEF.
For a full list of these charities, more information about the #FaceUpToDomesticViolence campaign, or for access to a local domestic abuse helpline near you, visit Hozier’s website.
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