There’s no doubting that KENNYHOOPLA is one of the most exciting artists to break through in recent years – but he’s not done yet. As he admits himself, he’s trying to take over the world.
Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Derek Bremner.
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Sitting backstage at Reading Festival, KennyHoopla is momentarily transfixed by a television screen broadcasting Holly Humberstone’s confident Main Stage performance. Later on today, he’ll deliver his own explosive, twisting set on the Festival Republic stage before crossover rapper Yung Lean and mysterious pop-metal group Sleep Token that rattles through his most urgent cuts. “I’m going to try and give the crowd a little bit of everything,” says Kenny a few hours before he spins onto the stage. “Every artist is out there killing it, and I just hope I can do the same,” he continues before ambition overtakes gratitude. “I want to push it, truthfully.”
It’s Kenny’s second appearance at Reading Festival after a scene-stealing lunchtime appearance in 2021, and he feels grateful to be back. “So many artists don’t get invited a second time,” he explains, with the excitement around a lot of the musicians who blew up over lockdown fizzling out in recent months, unable to maintain the communal eupho…
