As the quasi-title track to his newest EP, conditions of an orphan//, out via The Orchard, KennyHoopla is trying to dance through the trauma of abandonment and isolation on “orphan//.”
With the new EP, Kenny delves into the darker aspects of his trauma and how it relates to his experiences creating music. While the heavy topics might be too much for an up-and-coming artist to carry the “big funeral after-party” as Kenny describes it, he does so and makes it look effortless across the EP.
“A lot of the time, I just feel very alone, like an orphan,” said Kenny. “I’m just trying to find a home, literally and metaphorically—as a person, and as someone in the music industry. I’m trying to see where I fit in, given the circumstances of life that everyone has to go through.”
In the case of “orphan//,” the dance-punk production courtesy of Zac Farro (Paramore) and Mike Elizondo (Turnstile) lets Kenny cry out from the void as though it were a last ditch effort. The jangly instruments and bouncy energy contrast with the otherwise bleak songwriting, which shows off Kenny’s ability to take personal experiences and make them universal.
The “Look alive” chorus, in particular, feels more like a reminder to oneself than a command on Kenny’s part, as if he has to repeat it to literally keep himself alive. It’s one example of how dark he’s willing to go despite a 2000s-inspired groove that’s as easy to dance to as it is to let the lyrics resonate when you most need it.
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Listen to “orphan//” the new single from KennyHoopla.
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