Elton John has expressed his love for Kneecap, praising the Irish hip-hop trio’s energy and political lyricism.
The legendary pop singer-songwriter voices his appreciation for the band in a new appearance on BBC Radio 6’s Breakfast Show, hosted by Nick Grimshaw, saying that it was footage of their live performances that first turned his head.
“I saw a video of them and I just was so knocked out by the energy they had and the vitality they had,” he says (via NME). “They were just extraordinary and what they talk about is political, and there’s not many bands that do that. So, I love them, I love the energy, I love everything about them.”
The comments are similar to ones John made in September. He told the three-piece to their faces during an episode of his Rocket Hour podcast: “I find that your music tackles controversial subjects and you’ve said, unless we make a topic of it, unless we make fun of it, it’s never going to get any better.”
He continued: “I think you’re very brave to speak out, and you come from a humorous place – and it just makes me happy. Now, you wouldn’t think an old softie like me would be interested in Kneecap, but I am, because the energy, the music, the power – the power, the power. Not many people have that power.”
John has never made any bones about supporting younger generations of musicians. Over the weekend, he made headlines by performing Pink Pony Club with Chappell Roan at his Academy Awards viewing party.
He’s also offered kind words about heavy metal superstars Metallica. In 2021, he called the band’s 1991 single Nothing Else Matters “one of the best songs ever written”, drawing tears from frontman James Hetfield. John teamed with Miley Cyrus and others to cover Nothing Else Matters for the Metallica Blacklist compilation the same year.
Kneecap released their debut album Fine Art last June and swiftly became one of hip-hop’s biggest names. An eponymous documentary about the group won a BAFTA Award last month, with writer/director Rich Peppiatt taking home the prize for Outstanding Debut.