KennyHoopla - “Sore Loser//“

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Mobley, Conner Youngblood, Juice WRLD

A fusion of hip hop, alt rock, and chillwave pop forms the foundation for KennyHoopla’s personal songwriting, uniquely and consistently assembled across just four tracks since debuting in 2017 with “Waves//“. That song is the most cerebral of the collection, an echoing, psych rap track with minimal-bedroom-rock appeal. The way live drums and guitar lines interact with washed out production and vocal lines preserves nice dichotomy and tension within KennyHoopla’s sound, an angle that continues through the trap-pop groover “Sickness” and breakout “Lost Cause//“. The latter vibes R&B bass and vocals with subtle electro-pop flourishes, a dreamy disco jam filtered through KennyHoopla’s experimental lens. Latest single “Sore Loser//“ is the Wisconsin-based artist’s most rock-oriented track, steeped in 90s indie/alternative ideas and verifying KennyHoopla’s borderless song craft. (Kevin McStravick)