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Hozier Surprises Dublin Crowd With Six-Song Set at 3Arena

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60 minutes ago

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Hozier gave Dublin a moment no one on the bill had promised. The Irish singer-songwriter made a surprise appearance on Monday, October 26, at the 3Arena, stepping out during the opening night of Macklemore’s three-city tour run and delivering a six-song set built around some of the biggest songs of his career. In a home-city arena, in front of a sold-out crowd, it was the kind of unannounced walk-on that turns a big night into a talked-about one.

He opened with “Too Sweet,” the runaway hit that introduced a new wave of fans to his folk and soul sound, and he wasted no time settling in. From there, the set moved through “Work Song” and “Swan Upon Leda,” then paused for a traditional turn with “The Prayer of Shiel,” a nod to the Irish folk roots that have always run through his writing. “From Eden” followed, before he brought the short set home.

The closer needed no introduction. “Take Me to Church,” the breakout single that made Hozier a global name, landed as a full-arena singalong, the natural ending for a set that balanced a current hit at the top with the song that started it all at the finish. Six songs, no filler, and a running order that gave the crowd both the new chapter and the first one in a single stretch.

The appearance placed Hozier on a bill that also featured Irish acts Kneecap and Beoga, in a room Just Jared, citing Reuters, put at about 13,000 fans for the sold-out show. Macklemore headlined the night with a set that included “Thrift Shop,” “Same Love,” “Glorious” and “Can’t Hold Us,” but the surprise slots gave the evening its extra charge — none more than seeing an artist of Hozier’s stature walk out unannounced on a Dublin stage.

The run continues in Paris on Thursday, October 29, and London on Friday, October 30, but the opening night now carries a high bar. Headliners can plan a show down to the last light cue, yet it is the unplanned moments audiences carry home with them. For the fans inside the 3Arena on Monday night, that moment was six songs long — and it belonged to Hozier.

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We Speak Folk

Happy Sad Unveils Cinematic Video for New Single “Changeable”

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3 days ago

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October 26, 2026

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Ambient folk project Happy Sad has released the music video for “Changeable,” a track from the album The World Is Grand When We See, out now via Epictronic.

Built as a post-classical piece, “Changeable” moves through Eastern-inspired scales and instrumentation, unfolding with constant variation in mood and structure. The composition reflects a clear focus on contrast and movement, with musical ideas shifting rapidly rather than settling into repetition.

The track was originally developed under the working title “NHK Taiga Drama Style,” inspired by the orchestral openings of Japanese historical dramas. Those themes, known for their intricate arrangements and frequent shifts, shaped the piece’s structure — each section was designed to evolve quickly, creating a sense of changing scenery within a short runtime.

Happy Sad describes the writing process as a long-held idea that stayed unused for some time, originally envisioned for potential outside projects. When no fitting context emerged, it was developed independently into its final form, keeping the original concept intact: a composition built around transition, motion and emotional variation. The result is a focused, cinematic work that connects ambient folk sensibilities with post-classical orchestration and subtle Eastern influences.

Happy Sad is the solo project of Hiroaki Kusano, a Japanese artist and sound professional based in the game industry. He began making music during his student years, playing café bar gigs and recording demos. His influences take in soul, British rock, folk, trip hop, neoclassical, world music and film scores, alongside a strong connection to literature, and his recordings balance live instrumentation with programmed elements. To date, Happy Sad has released seven albums and 19 EPs.

Outside the project, Kusano has around 14 years of experience as a sound designer and sound director in the games industry, contributing to more than 60 projects at companies including NetEase Games, FunPlus, NHN PlayArt and Noisycroak Inc. In 2013, his track “Everyday” won the domestic DJ category and reached the finals of MTV and Lenovo’s CO:LAB contest. In recent years, he has travelled across ten countries in search of sounds and traditional instruments — and the encounters along the way have shaped his approach to music as a form of shared human expression.

The World Is Grand When We See is out now via Epictronic. Stream the album here: https://orcd.co/twgwws — and connect with Happy Sad at happysadsong.com and on Instagram @happysad_kusano.

Photo: Epictronic Records

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