Hozier performed ‘Too Sweet’ and a cover of The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ on Saturday Night Live – watch footage of the performance below.
Last night (December 21), the singer-songwriter appeared on the show for the first time since he debuted on the series in 2014. Introduced by Martin Short, he performed his runaway hit ‘Too Sweet’, taken from this year’s surprise release ‘Unheard EP’.
The March record featured four previously unreleased songs, all of which were recorded during the sessions for ‘Unreal Unearth’. In April, the success of ‘Too Sweet’ made the singer the first Irish act to top the Billboard chart since Sinéad O’Connor, and more recently secured him a spot on Barack Obama’s annual favourite song of the year list.
The ‘Take Me To Church’ singer also performed a rendition of 1987’s ‘Fairytale of New York’. The Christmas track, performed by Kirsty MacColl and Pogues frontman Shane McGowan, has been at the centre of debate in recent years due to its use of a homophobic slur f****t in its lyrics, with Hozier’s backing singers altering them to “You’re cheap and you’re haggard”.
In 2019, the issue reared its head again, when actress and screenwriter Ruth Jones faced backlash after Gavin & Stacey included the lyric in that year’s Christmas TV special. Upon the BBC’s initial announcement that they would censor the lyric, Laurence Fox took to Twitter to criticise the broadcaster, prompting the band’s official account to hit back at him.
In a recent interview with NME, surviving members of the band James Fearnley, Jem Finer and Spider Stacy all weighed in on the annual debate.
When asked what the band thinks of the culture wars surrounding the track, Stacy referenced the public spat with Fox, saying: “We don’t want to be dragged into anything on behalf of people like Laurence Fox.”
Hozier singing Fairytale of New York by The Pogues tonight on SNL pic.twitter.com/6YC6RNdj1k
— Hozier’s Vocals (@hoziersvocalss) December 22, 2024
He went on to say: “When the BBC announced they were censoring that lyric, I was looking at Twitter where a guy said that he loved The Pogues but every Christmas when he hears drunk blokes shouting that word in the street – when they’re singing along to ‘Fairytale of New York’ – he’s reminded of the number of times he heard it when having the shit kicked out of him at school for being gay.”
Meanwhile, Hozier was recently confirmed as a first-time headliner for Reading & Leeds. He’ll top the bill at the 2025 edition of the twin-site festival alongside Chappell Roan, Travis Scott and Bring Me The Horizon.