# @popbase on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DdQOB0_B_2Q
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70347106-popbase-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/28dac20f3e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-09-14T03:55:06.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Pop Base (@PopBase) — https://gondola.cc/PopBase

## Caption

13 years ago today, Hozier released ‘Take Me To Church.'

Working late one January night in 2013, Andrew Hozier-Byrne recorded the earliest vocal take of 'Take Me to Church' in his parents' attic in County Wicklow, Ireland, joined only by drummer Fiachra Kinder on the original demo. A struggling musician at the time, he's said the chorus and lyrics came together almost naturally once he sat down at the piano, following months of carrying pieces of the idea around beforehand. Independent label Rubyworks brought in producer Rob Kirwan to add live instrumentation, though Kirwan chose to keep Hozier's raw original vocal rather than re-record it, feeling it carried a rare authenticity.

The song folds soul, blues rock, and gospel-pop into lyrics that use religious imagery to describe a romantic relationship set against Church-driven discrimination, with Hozier later explaining in interviews that the track is fundamentally about sexuality, humanity, and reclaiming personal dignity through love rather than a broad rejection of faith itself. Its stark black-and-white video, shot on a shoestring budget in Cork and directed by Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson, portrayed a relationship between two men followed by a violent homophobic attack, giving the song's message an unmistakable visual weight. After actor Stephen Fry shared the clip on Reddit, it shot to the site's front page and quickly spread worldwide, catching the attention of Columbia and Island Records almost overnight.

The single topped the charts in twelve countries, including Austria, Belgium, and Sweden, and spent 23 consecutive weeks atop Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart, tying Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" for the longest run at the time. It eventually crossed over to the Hot 100, peaking at number two that December, and picked up a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in 2015, becoming the breakout single that launched Hozier's international career.

#hozier #music #popculture #reels

## Stats

- **Views:** 72,809
- **Likes:** 4,570
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 70

## Tags

popculture, hozier, music, reels

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