After steadily climbing the Billboard Hot 100 Chart these past few weeks,“Take Me To Church” has broken into the number three spot on the coveted list, settling only behind hit singles “All About That Bass” and “Blank Space” by pop princesses Meghan Trainor and Taylor Swift. Irishman Andrew Hozier-Byrne, known in music world singularly by Hozier, has taken the industry by storm.

Growing up in a tiny community in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, Hozier’s actual roots are a far cry from his bluesy-gospel sound. Without any prior information on his origins, one would expect him to hail from the swamps of Louisiana, his voice is so distinctly fitting for the American folk music genre. However, it is no surprise that he has such a bluegrass tone, as his father was a working blues drummer around Dublin for much of his childhood. Hozier attributes his sound to a mixture of Irish folk music and the great blues and Motown artists of the past.

Hozier knew earlier on what his true calling was; the now twenty-four year old dropped out of prestigious Trinity College in Dublin at the age of nineteen to pursue his music full time. Although producing music for almost three years now, Hozier’s soulful, message-bearing songs have only recently gone mainstream. Contrary to most pop songs out there, his hit “Take Me To Church” has a deep underlying message based in religion, sexuality, and human rights.

In an interview with New York Magazine, Hozier discusses the matter of relaying oppression within a religion through the eyes of a female muse, “… An organization like the church, say, through its doctrine, would undermine humanity by successfully teaching shame about sexual orientation — that it is sinful, or that it offends God. The song is about asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love. Turning your back on the theoretical thing, something that’s not tangible, and choosing to worship or love something that is tangible and real — something that can be experienced.”

Hozier also contributes part of the appeal to the song to the message it delivers to the LGBT Community. When asked if it is a statement against homophobia and state oppression in Russia during the interview, the troubadour replied “Absolutely, yes. It references the very organized attacks against LGBT youths that are carried out with impunity, without action from law enforcement.”

With his deep song meanings, soulful lyricism, haunting vocals, and all-around feeling of genuine seventies folk music with a rock twist, Hozier is certainly about to blow up. With a plethora of catchy tunes on debut album Hozier, it is hard to say exactly which next song will top the charts, but I have a feeling authentic rock-and-roll sounding “Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene” will be the next championed single.

Hozier’s  self-titled, debut album Hozier is now on sale on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play Store.