I will try to make this review as coherent as possible, but forgive me if my emotions get the best of me. The video currently has 32,688,191 (and counting) views on YouTube, and really, I’m responsible for at least half of those views. Let’s be honest, the music video had me hooked when Natalie Dormer appeared on the screen; the scenes that followed just happened to be a wonderful surprise. I had already fallen in love with the song while listening to Hozier’s self-titled album, and the music video just made me see the song in an entirely new light.
The video begins with Natalie Dormer entering a nightclub where Hozier is performing; throughout the video, you are privy to Dormer’s nocturnal antics. She goes throughout the night spotting different people: a guy with dreadlocks in the nightclub, a girl walking with her friend, a man next to her on the subway; all the while imagining herself in intimate situations with each one. The scenes are definitely sexual in their nature, but once you grasp the reality of the situation, you can’t help but feel sad for Natalie Dormer’s character. Sure, this woman is imagining herself in these situations, but the reality is that she is extremely lonely.
The best scene, in my opinion, is when she sees the two friends walking down the street. Her imagination replaces one of the girls with herself, and as an audience member, you are left to decide if what Dormer is yearning for in this particular scene is the sexual aspect of a relationship or the joy of a close friendship. The ambiguity of the scene is what continues to bring me back to watching this video.
For those of you assuming that Hozier was about to be the next one-hit wonder, you can breath a sigh of relief because this guy is here to stay. “Someone New” is just as catchy as “Take Me to Church,” and the message within the song is just as relevant. The detailed video was shot in one day and directed by Natalie Dormer’s fiancé, Anthony Byrne. I can understand how you may feel as if my review could be a bit biased, but I challenge to go and listen to “Someone New” and not fall in love with the music video.