REVIEW: KennyHoopla Teams Up Once Again With Travis Barker For More Pop-Punk Bangers On ‘BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT//’ EP

Newcomer and standout to the scene KennyHoopla has returned with Travis Barker to give us nothing but pop-punk heat in the form of the ‘BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT//’ EP. This EP consists of three energetic, carefree, and fun pop-punk songs to show that this man still has the stuff, with the help of Barker behind the drums and production to really perfect these tracks as he did on Kenny‘s 2021’s release ‘SURVIVOR’S GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//’. If you’re looking for catchy, energetic pop-punk then this is for you and just in time for the middle of summer too to rock this shit. 

The EP opens with the only single released off this and deservedly so, with “SABOTAGE//”. This track caught my attention when it was released for many reasons, one of them being Barker‘s fingerprints being all over this and his drumming being as iconic as ever throughout. Another reason being how much the verses feel influenced by Bloc Party, and you can tell the way Kenny sings here that they’re an influence for him. But also just how personal the lyrics feel the most on this entire release, but also fun in spots where it needs to be. You can have a line like “I’m not positive I’m in love, but I know I’m your type” and another like “I’m coming to terms with death and stages of grief” in the same song and it fits. Also love how hard the bridge goes with his vocals, it really hits.

It’s followed with “MARRY KILL F*CK//”. This track feels so influenced by Blink, especially in the vocals in the verses. The chorus is certainly one to be remembered most from this release, as it’s another huge one and definitely with the raw aspect going into the last chorus. And the fun side of Kenny shows in spades here and just how good he can craft a song, with Barker to really capture that energy too.

The final track is a short but sweet fast pop-punk song and one of his best, with “T SHIRT//”. This song feels once again influenced by pop-punk from the early 2000’s and Barker‘s drumming here is the side of him I’ve missed from when I was a kid. Also it just shows how catchy they can make a song together, it’s something special for sure. The lyrics feel like a mix of the last two, serious when it needs to be but so much fun too which can be a hard thing to balance but Kenny does it beautifully. 

To sum it all up, the ‘BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT’ EP is a short but sweet release by KennyHoopla that really shows why he’s such a standout amongst his many peers. He knows exactly how to craft these kinds of songs and Barker really shines in this throughout as well. It’s the perfect time to drop this release, as he’s about to go on tour with Blink-182 and show many that he’s worth the spin, and the numerous replays too. 

Check out the official visualizer for “MARRY KILL F*CK” below.