Eat Your Young Explained

Eat Your Young
Type:	EP
Artist:	Hozier
Cover:	Eat Your Young Hozier.jpeg
Length:	11:23
Prev Title:	Wasteland, Baby!
Prev Year:	2019
Next Title:	Unreal Unearth
Next Year:	2023

Eat Your Young is the sixth extended play (EP) by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier. The three-track collection was released on 17 March 2023 through Rubyworks Records, to celebrate the singer's birthday, St. Patrick's Day, the ten-year anniversary of his debut, and to tease his then-upcoming third studio album Unreal Unearth. At the time of the EP's release, all three of its songs were slated to appear on Unreal Unearth,^[1] though "Through Me (The Flood)" ultimately was absent from the album. Hozier performed the EP in full in a set on NPR's World Cafe on 18 March 2023.^[2]

The title track was released as a single the same day and debuted at number seven on the Irish Singles Chart and number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the latter, it became Hozier's second entry on the chart, with the first being the breakout single "Take Me to Church" in 2014. "Eat Your Young" also became Hozier's third song to top the US Adult Alternative Airplay charts.^[3] The title track's music video starring Ivanna Sakhno was released on 5 April 2023, followed by a video for "All Things End" on 27 April 2023.^{[4] [5]}

Reception

In a review for Mxdwn, Blake Michelle praised the songwriting of the EP, writing "The title track falls into the same category of 'Take Me to Church,' in using a mix of religious and sexual imagery to create social commentary—in this case, consumption and prioritizing war profits over alleviating poverty. It turns the need to produce and consume into an almost demonic urge, fitting for a song based on the Gluttony level of hell. The following two songs stare into the abyss, and yet find comfort in the knowledge that everything is temporary."^[6]

Personnel

Musicians

• Hozier – lead vocals
• Craig Balmoris – drum programming
• Bekon – background vocals organ piano strings synthesizer
• Amanda Brown – background vocals
• Darien Dorsey – organ
• Marius Feder – synthesizer
• Gregory Fletcher – background vocals
• Drew Forde – viola
• Roland Garcia – percussion
• Peter Gonzales – drums programming
• Sergiu "Rappy" Gherman – programming
• Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman – bass electric guitar synthesizer
• Peter Gonzales – drums programming
• Nayanna Holley – background vocals
• Stuart Johnson – drums, synthesizer
• Charles Jones – background vocals
• Daniel Krieger – guitar bass
• Andrew Kwon – violin
• Haesol Lee – violin
• Daniel Lim – cello
• Ginny Luke – violin
• Lisa McCormick – french horn
• Kadeem Nichols – background vocals
• Stanley Randolph – drums
• Aretha Scruggs – background vocals
• Toni Scruggs – background vocals
• Jordan Seigel – string arrangement
• Fletcher Sheridan – background vocals
• David Simmonds – background vocals
• SORA – cello
• The Whole Soul Strings – strings
• Danielle Withers – background vocals

Technical

• Hozier – vocal engineer
• Wil Anspach – engineer
• Matt Anthony – engineer
• Tom Elmhirst – mixing engineer
• Greg Calbi – mastering engineer
• Sean Cook – vocal engineer
• Steve Fallone – mastering engineer
• Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman – engineer
• Peter Gonzales – recording engineer, mixing engineer
• Adam Hong – mixing engineer
• Peter Katis – mixing engineer
• Daniel Krieger – vocal engineer
• Logan Taylor – assistant recording engineer, engineer
• Jordan Siegel – recording engineer

Chart performance

While the EP as a whole did not chart in any territory, all three songs charted individually.

"Eat Your Young"

Weekly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
German Download Singles (Official German Charts)^[7]	7
Latvia (LAIPA)^[8]	6
New Zealand Top 40 Singles (RMNZ)^[9]	38

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[10]	41
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)^[11]	38

"All Things End"

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Canadian Digital Song Sales (Billboard)^[12]	36
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)^[13]	13

"Through Me (The Flood)"

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Canadian Digital Song Sales (Billboard)	33
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)	18

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hozier shares introspective new EP 'Eat Your Young' and announces UK tour dates. Dunworth. Liberty. NME. 17 March 2023. 19 May 2023.
2. Web site: Hozier takes things to the extreme on 'Eat Your Young'. Douris. Raina. Junod. Kimberly. NPR. 29 March 2023. 19 May 2023.
3. Hozier Returns to No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay Chart With 'Eat Your Young'. Rutherford. Kevin. Billboard. 12 May 2023. 19 May 2023.
4. Web site: Hozier Shares The Captivating Video For 'Eat Your Young'. Peacock. Tim. U Discover Music. 7 April 2023. 19 May 2023.
5. Web site: Hozier's "All Things End" video takes a dreamlike look at life and death. Vettese. John. WXPN. 28 April 2023. 22 May 2023.
6. Web site: Album Review: Hozier – Eat Your Young. Michelle. Blake. Mxdwn. 8 April 2023. 19 May 2023.
7. Web site: Deutsche Single Trend Charts Category: Single . Deutsche Single Trend Charts . 24 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230324201621/https://www.mtv.de/info/kj3m94/single-trending-charts . 24 March 2023 . dead .
8. Web site: Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 12. nedēļa. LAIPA. en, lv. 18 June 2023. 26 March 2023.
9. Web site: NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 27 March 2023. 24 March 2023.
10. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023. Billboard. 6 December 2023.
11. Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023. Billboard. 6 December 2023.
12. Hozier Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales). Billboard. 19 May 2023.
13. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 27 March 2023. 24 March 2023.