Unknown / Nth

"Unknown / Nth" emerges from the depths of Hozier's Unreal Unearth. Crafted amid the tumultuous confines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the album became Hozier's artistic vessel for untangling the madness of those two strange years. Hozier took inspiration from Dante Alighieri's Inferno, which he'd began reading at the time. The 14th century epic poem is part of a larger work called the Divine Comedy, which consists of three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). Hozier framed the album around Dante's concept of the nine circles of Hell in Inferno.

In this bone-chilling anthem, Hozier taps into the icy depths of the 9th Circle of Hell, a realm reserved for those who wove a web of treachery. Drawing inspiration from Dante's infernal landscape, Hozier weaves a tale of longing, deceit, and the haunting sensation of being a stranger in love. The heartache cuts deep as Hozier seethes over his love interest's betrayal. "The song throws away the old premise of angelhood," said Hozier. "None of us are angels. We are all going to break someone else's heart or hurt another person. Musically, there was a minimalist approach. In that cold empty place, something else happened."

The haunting echoes of "sha-la-la" reverberate through the air, carrying a deceptive sense of joy and freedom. Yet within their charm lies a lack of remorse for the treacherous act committed. These seemingly innocent syllables, often associated with cheery tunes, become a weapon of irony, a stark contrast to Hozier's anguish. It ain't the being alone Sha-la-la It ain't the empty home, baby Sha-la-la You know I'm good on my own Sha-la-la Sha-la-la, baby, you know, it's more the being unknown So much of the livin', love, is the being unknown The relentless "sha-la-la" punctuates Hozier's points, mocking and interrupting, as if to emphasize the bitter irony of the betrayer's callousness.