Bloc Party is a popular and acclaimed British indie rock band that formed at the Reading Festival in 1999. KennyHoopla is an upcoming alt-rock singer based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The two artists have released a new collaborative single called “Keep It Rolling.”
The track combines KennyHoopla’s introspective, multi-genre sound with Bloc Party’s insistent rhythms and riffs. Lyrically, it seems to tell the story of a flawed relationship, with lines like “So was it worth it, kissing the toad? I want to know, I want to know. Did it come through, your miracle? I want to know, I gotta know.”
Bloc Party, KennyHoopla – Keep it Rolling (Audio)
While Bloc Party has already become a familiar name on the circuit, KennyHoopla is a newer artist with great potential. Both artists are renowned for their musical talents, however, their names have also been the source of much mystery. It turns out that the name “Bloc Party” is a play on words referencing the phrase “block party.”
Meanwhile, KennyHoopla was named after an obscure character in the children’s TV show Spongebob Squarepants. Once upon a time, artists were simply known by their birth names or selected stage personas, while nowadays artists are increasingly creative with their show names.
In part, this could be because coming up with original names is increasingly difficult, as there are more bands and artists than ever before. This is no exaggeration! If you Google a word or phrase you’ve thought of, there’ll probably already be an artist with that name. Luckily, if you’re struggling to find something original, you can generate a business name or artist name with online word generators.
Anyhow, the collaboration between the interestingly named artists came about quite spontaneously. “I’ve been a fan of Kenny’s for a while now, so when he came to London, I jumped at the chance of getting in the studio together,” Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke describes. “We wrote a bunch of songs in one afternoon, and ‘Keep It Rolling’ was one of those ideas.”
According to KennyHoopla, the opportunity to work with Bloc Party was very significant. The American singer stated: “I’ve always been a huge Bloc Party fan so this was a bucket list collab for me. I’m happy to call Kele a friend and it was amazing to get to do a song together.”
KennyHoopla
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, KennyHoopla is a 24-year-old singer, songwriter, and rapper. He is signed to the Arista Records label and has previously collaborated with Blink-182’s Travis Barker on a mixtape (called Survivor’s Guilt: The Mixtape) in 2021. He has also released two EPs, 2016’s self-released Beneath the Willow Tree and 2020’s How Will I Rest in Peace if I’m Buried by a Highway?
When interviewed, KennyHoopla has described his approach to making music: “I don’t like predictable art. Too literal, I like metaphorical.” His songwriting process doesn’t follow a strict template — he sometimes starts with a beat, a lyric, or an idea on guitar or synth.
Bloc Party
Formed in 1999 in London, England, Bloc Party gained prominence in the mid-2000s with their debut album Silent Alarm, featuring hits like “Banquet” and “Helicopter.” Their distinct blend of post-punk revival, indie rock, and dance-punk elements earned them a dedicated fan base.
Despite lineup changes and hiatuses, the band has endured and released six albums. The most recent was 2022’s Alpha Games, which was considered by many to be a return to form. Their most recent single, “High Life,” was released on April 21, 2023, to a positive reception.
Bloc Party is currently on a world tour with Paramore, another huge-selling rock act that found fame in the 2000s. Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams describes her admiration of Bloc Party and the choice to invite them on tour: “They had their own thing and it was so unique and so dynamic, and it really stuck with us.”