Introducing Kennyhoopla
Kenny, Kenny, Kenny… how does one even begin to describe the unbelievable talent and performer that Kennyhoopla is? My first introduction to his work was the single ‘how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?//’ in 2020, the opening line of which is “she’s gonna cut my head off, but i don’t care, i don’t care.” The unique opener captured my interest immediately. Kenny’s screaming style of singing makes you want to get up and jump around like you’re onstage yourself. We see Kenny using the all lower case style writing in his work, as is standard practice in the punk scene at this time. He enhances the titles with slashes to add his own flair and make himself stand out even more from the rest of the scene. The next song that really grabbed my attention was ‘estella//’ made with pop punk phenom – can you guess? That’s right, Blink-182’s Travis Barker. This is followed by another single from the pair, called ‘hollywood sucks//,’ a classic fast-paced, anti-establishment pop punk anthem that makes you want to get up and groove. Finally, in 2021 the duo blesses us with Kenny’s first album, called ‘SURVIVOR’S GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//’ consisting of 6 more songs in addition to the 2 singles. You can’t mistake Travis Barker’s signature style on the drums throughout this album. They’ll have you rocking out from start to finish. The only song to come of 2022 was DIRTY WHITE VANS// (my roommate’s personal favorite). Here we see Kenny switch to all caps, following the title of his first album. In 2023 some more projects finally start rolling out. First, we get the single ‘Dancing on My Grave’ with indie band Groupthink, which is a slight deviation from Hoopla’s usual sound. This song is the catalyst for his Raised by Wolves tour, with Groupthink as the opener. Next, we get ‘YOU NEEDED A HIT//’ which is a return to Kenny’s signature rock sound as well as the all caps and slashes, indicating he’s entering a new era in his music. Kenny knows what his fans are really after though, and we see him team up with Travis Barker again for a 3 song collaboration with ‘SABOTAGE//,’ ‘T-SHIRT//,’ and my personal favorite of his work, ‘MARRY KILL FUCK//.’ There hasn’t been any word of an album, but hopefully, this is not the last we will see of these two working together. 2023 provided us with 2 more singles, ‘Hello’ with Grouplove (not to be confused with Groupthink) and most recently ‘keep a window open//.’ I took the return of all lower-case letters to signal that the project with Barker was complete for now, and we will probably see another pivot in 2024.
Once you’re a fan of Kennyhoopla’s music, he’ll keep you coming back for more with his live performances. I had the pleasure of seeing his Seattle show in October for my birthday and was blown away. I brought a few friends who didn’t know any of his music and aren’t really in the scene, so I was a little nervous about them having fun. I needn’t have wasted a second worrying, because Hoopla’s live performance is so captivating and rambunctious that you can’t NOT have a good time. The energy is contagious, and you can tell he has a dedicated fan base because everyone was singing along to every word. He ended the night with a giant mosh pit, stage diving into the crowd multiple times, and even did a backflip. All in all, it was a phenomenal show, and I left an even bigger fan than before. He even makes an effort to engage with fans on social media and reposted both my and my roommate’s Instagram stories of his show. Overall, my opinion of Kennyhoopla is that he’s a genuine talent with a big personality, who’s dedicated to his art, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in 2024! Check him out on your preferred streaming platform today.
