Domestic violence is a heavy issue that isn't easy to talk about. Millions of men and women in America are victims of such violence every year at the hands of their partners. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence's website, "On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men."

Most people are unaware of how big of an issue this is in our country. They may think because it isn't happening to them then it isn't happening, or they may just be unaware of the statistics. Regardless, this is still a problem that should be talked about more frequently, and some people have taken that task into their own hands.

Irish singer-songwriter Hozier released a music video for his song 'Cherry Wine' on Valentine's Day, starring Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan. The video portrays a young man and woman dancing, kissing, and laughing together, but when the woman sits down to take off her makeup, bruises appear beneath her eyes. Her partner comes in, kisses her, then pushes her hair over the bruises to hide them.

Listening to 'Cherry Wine' (a song that was recorded on the rooftop of a hotel at five in the morning) for the first time, the soft plucking of the guitar and the sounds of a bird chirping in the background might lead someone to think it is a sweet love song. But listen a little closer to the lyrics and you’ll hear the tale of a man hopelessly in love with a woman who abuses him both physically and emotionally.

For example, some of the lyrics read "The way she tells me I’m hers and she is mine/ Open hand or closed fist would be fine/ The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine/"

While the woman is the abuser in the song, the video portrays her as the abused. This is most likely due to the fact that women are more often the victim of domestic violence than men, with a woman being assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the U.S.

Hozier, a feminist, is no stranger to such important subject matter. In his famous song, "Take Me To Church," he sings about his own malcontent with the Catholic Church and its views on homosexuality. In fact, in an interview with NY Magazine, Hozier explained the meaning behind the worldwide hit, saying:

"Sexuality, and sexual orientation – regardless of orientation – is just natural. An act of sex is one of the most human things. But 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.”

Leading up to the release of his music video, Hozier started using the hashtag #FaceUpToDomesticViolence and proclaimed that he would be donating all proceeds to domestic violence-aid programs around the world.

Thank you, Hozier. For beautifully highlighting the importance of this topic and opening people's eyes to the issue. Hopefully, others can catch on and use their voices to do the same to #FaceUpToDomesticViolence.

You can watch 'Cherry Wine' here: