SITTING proudly on the BBC Sound of 2017 list, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about Declan McKenna.
The young English artist has blossomed into a fine songwriter in recent years, tackling difficult subjects such as transgender issues, racism and religion; all the while pairing his deeply moving and thought-provoking lyrics with catchy pop tunes. His latest offering is no different and is perhaps his most anthemic and emotionally charged song to date.
Written after the Paris terror attacks, ‘The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home’ is McKenna’s emphatic response to assumptions made about today’s younger generation. Channelling his frustration into four foot-stomping minutes, McKenna argues that young people are more socially and politically aware than they are given credit for; staking his claim as the next voice of a generation over an anthemic chorus and indie-pop sheen.
McKenna said: “It’s generally about the frustrations of being a young person in the modern world, there’s a lot of scary things going on that people are concerned about it’s about finding hope and looking towards the future.”
“The song came together when I was in Paris around the time of the attacks and the day after I kinda realised that I now felt the emotions that I was trying to put into this song, and it all became quite real for me. That kind of fear and frustration but also a longing for change”
Check out the track below:
