Hozier thinks AI Homer Simpson singing Take Me To Church is "fun" but fears impact of artificial intelligence on music

15 April 2024, 09:38 | Updated: 15 April 2024, 09:45

Hozier with Homer Simpson inset — Hozier has discussed his long-term fears of AI. Picture: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The Too Sweet singer caught up with Radio X's Dan O'Connell and talked about his concerns for AI technology being used in music.

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Hozier has shared his concerns about the future of music when it comes to Artificial Intelligence.

The Irish singer-songwriter spoke to Radio X's Dan O'Connell last week, where he discussed the impact of AI technology from its "silly" and "harmless" aspects to his bigger concerns when it comes to original music.

Asked if he'd heard AI used to apply his dulcet tones to unexpected songs, he replied: "I haven't heard my voice being used on other stuff. I think I've heard maybe Take Me To Church as my voice as maybe Homer Simpson or something like that".

"I think that stuff is the more sort of silly, harmless stuff,' he mused. "It is kinda weird, yeah. I think it's just fun. I think it's just people playing with the technology for stuff like that. The more complex, long-term stuff of AI when music catalogues are being trained for generative stuff is where we're in the bigger questions..."

Watch our interview with the artist below:

Hozier talks Too Sweet, collabs, summer dates and more

Watch a snippet of the AI cover here:

AI Homer Simpson - Take Me To Church

Catch up on Global Player, the official Radio X app

The singer - whose real name is Andrew John Hozier-Byrne - also talked about his Too Sweet single and revealed he was "delighted" with its success on TikTok and social media.

"I wasn’t always as savvy [on social media], but stuff like this really wakes you up to what it can do for a song," he told the Radio X Evening Show.

"You have such direct access to an audience that - if they connect with something, they create their own little things with it and it becomes it’s own thing. So I'm delighted. It's been awesome to watch it happen."

"It's all been a pleasant surprise for me, you know," he added. "But that's the beauty of people just making their own thing, their own little memes, their own little jokes on TikTok:"

Hozier - Too Sweet (Official Lyric Video)

The Country Wicklow singer is also set to embark on huge outdoor dates this year, which will see him play the likes of Dublin's Marlay Park, London's Finsbury Park and a headline set at the likes of TRNSMT Festival 2024.

Asked if he has anything planned for the milestone shows, he the 34-year-old musician said: "They're the biggest-ticketed shows I'll have played in my career so far. I'm delighted, I'm honoured to be on a bill with Brittany Howard, Lord Huron. Ye Vagabonds are a duo from Ireland that I love and admire dearly, so I feel really good about the bill.

"I'm excited, but for a stage and a show [that size] the only way I can approach it is it's like doing a festival show but it's the full set."

Asked if he has to get himself in a different headspace for the dates, he mused: "I think you just feel into it. Every show is different."

"It's a different vibe,"he added. "The crowd have a different energy [...] I'm excited to try it. It's a new one for me."

See Hozier's 2024 UK & Ireland dates:

Fri 5th July - Dublin, Marlay Park - Ticktetmaster.ie
Sun 7th July - London, Finsbury Park - Ticketmaster.co.uk and Seetickets.com
Tues 9th July - Chepstow, Summer Sessions - Ticketmaster.co.uk
Weds 10th July - TRNSMT Festival 2024, Glasgow Green - Ticketmaster.co.uk

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