What We’re Into: Wasteland, Baby!

The closer we come towards the end of the semester, the harder it is for us college students to find time to decompress from the stresses of our everyday lives. Some may struggle to find the time to unwind with competing deadlines and their full schedules. For others, it may be an issue of not having enough money to treat themselves for their hard work. Yet, it is crucial that we relax to prevent burnout. So what can be done to find a little peace in moments like now, where our circumstances make it seem near impossible?

One of the ways that I’ve been able to destress this semester was by turning to music. Numerous scientific studies have shown that listening to music decreases stress levels, allowing your mood and well-being to improve. By taking breaks through music, I’ve discovered a wide variety of different genres and artists with my absolute favorite being Hozier.

Andrew Hozier-Bryne, more commonly and mononymously known by his stage name Hozier, is an Irish alternative blues, soul, and indie rock singer and songwriter from Bray, County Wicklow. In 2008, he attended Trinity College, Dublin in pursuit of a music degree but dropped out to record demos for Universal Music. It was during this time that Hozier began to question his background in the Quaker Christian faith and write “Take Me to Church,” the song which would become the breakthrough for his career.

This last March on his official TikTok account, the musician announced that in honor of the fifth anniversary of his second album, Wasteland, Baby!, he would release not only a deluxe version and limited colored vinyl edition of the album, but also two unreleased songs: a new song, “Why Would You Be Loved?” and an acoustic version of his track, “Be”. As someone who first discovered and came to love Hozier through Wasteland, Baby!, this news exhilarated me. Once I had a free moment, I sat down and listened to this new acoustic track, and to say the least, was not disappointed. Like many of the other songs in his second album, this folksy, heartfelt ballad explores some more melancholic and catastrophic themes such as the struggle to find love and the loss of faith. In the song’s storyline, after being expelled from heaven a young man seeks comfort and hope from his lover. Yet what sets “Be” apart is that it’s a story of love and hope in a time of hopelessness, suggesting that love is a transgressional act: 

“Be, be as you’ve always been

Be like the love that discovered the sin

That freed the first man and will do so again

And, lover, be good to me

Be that hope when Eden was lost

It’s been deaf to our laughter since the master was crossed

Which side of the wall really suffers that cost?

And, lover, be good to me”

This cathartic and heartfelt song is a great choice to listen to while walking from class, doing laundry, or winding down for the night. “Be”, Wasteland, Baby!, and more of Hozier’s music is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Pandora.