Sedated (song) explained

"Sedated" is a song by recorded by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier for his 2014 eponymous debut studio album. It was released on 20 May 2014 as the third single from the record, and peaked at number three on the Irish Singles Chart.

Writing and composition

"Sedated" is an indie-rock song listed as the eighth track on the album, written by Hozier alone.^[1] "Sedated" contains stripped-back instrumentation with uplifting piano, gospel choir melodies, and rich, dark vocals while the lyrics depict an "addictive love", warning of "creeping shadows, poison, and personal decay".^{[2] [3]}

Critical reception

"Sedated" was reviewed positively by music critics. VultureHound describes its "anthemic chorus", stating that the "simplicity of the track is something to love amongst the bombardment of [..] in modern music.", while State hails "Sedated" as "the most perfectly realised song released this year", writing that the track is "experienced in a way that transcends anything else on the album [...] it truly speaks for itself."^[4]

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Ireland Digital Song Sales chart^[5] and number three on the Irish Singles Chart.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sedated . AllMusic . 11 January 2021.
2. Web site: New Music: Hozier – Sedated . Vulture Hound . 11 January 2021.
3. Web site: Hozier: Hozier . PopMatters . 11 January 2021.
4. Web site: Dunne. Steven. 23 September 2014. Hozier – Hozier. State. 22 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141225152604/http://state.ie/album-reviews/hozier-hozier. 25 December 2014. dead.
5. Web site: Sedated . Billboard . 11 January 2021.
6. Web site: Sedated . Irish Singles Chart . https://web.archive.org/web/20180101010101/https://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2014&year=2014&week=30. 11 January 2021. 2018-01-01.
7. Web site: Sedated (Digital Download – Universal #) – Hozier . . . 26 February 2015.