Elton John has shared his praise for Kneecap, and said that he “loves everything about them”.
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The iconic singer-songwriter shared his fondness for the Irish hip-hop trio in a new episode of the BBC Radio 6 Music Breakfast Show (Listen in full here). Speaking with host Nick Grimshaw, Sir Elton recalled how seeing footage of them live caught his attention and made him notice what set them apart from other artists.
“I saw a video of them and I just was so knocked out by the energy they had and the vitality they had,” he explained. “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 echo the praise he shared for Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí last September too, when he described them as having the same kind of power and influence that “not many people have”.
“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 told the trio during an episode of his Apple Music show (via Irish News).
“I think you’re very brave to speak out, and you come from a humorous place – and it just makes me happy,” he added. “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.”
This is far from the first time that Sir Elton has used his platform to celebrate new talent across the music industry. Elsewhere in the Radio 6 interview alone, the singer, songwriter and pianist named other artists catching his eye, including Moonchild Sanelly, Beabadoobee, Jacob Alon and Perfume Genius.
Before then, he shared his fondness for former NME Cover star Chappell Roan again this January and revealed that he has been giving her advice on how to handle fame.
“I just try and calm her down and say, ‘Listen, it’s fine. It’s fine. Do what you want. Don’t listen to anybody. Walk at your own speed,” he said. “Do not listen to the record company saying, ‘We want another album, we want another album.’ Do it when you’re ready to do it.’”
In September last year, he also shared his love of Fontaines D.C., and declared them “the best band out there at the moment”.
“Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you’ve just grown every album,” he told frontman Grian Chatten. “You seem to have found your feet with this album in such a big way…it’s a brilliant record.”
“I think this album takes you – and I’ve been around for a long time – to a different level, and it’s going to stay around for a long, long time. But what’s more important about it: the music is really, really, really special,” he added.
Back in 2021 when the ‘Rocketman’ singer spoke to NME for a Big Read cover feature, he said he was hungrier than ever to discover exciting new music and particularly fond of Yard Act.
“I scan the websites of the NME and places like that to find records that I wouldn’t have heard. I’m always on the lookout for new things. I’ve become friends with most young artists on the record, and I just love promoting new records,” he said.
In other Elton John news, earlier this week the pop icon took to the stage with Chappell Roan to perform a duet of her song ‘Pink Pony Club’ at his Oscars viewing party.
This April, he will release a new collaborative album with Brandi Carlile called ‘Who Believes In Angels?’. The record is set to feature the Oscar-nominated song ‘Never Too Late’, which was created especially for the Disney+ documentary of the same name.
As for Kneecap, the trio recently announced details of a North American headline tour for later this year, celebrating the release of 2024’s debut studio album, ‘Fine Art’.
From there, they will round off 2025 with a massive arena concert in Dublin. The trio are also set to play their “biggest ever live show” at the city’s Fairview Park this summer.
Additionally, the band will open for Fontaines D.C. in London’s Finsbury Park in July, and at their Manchester show in August. Other scheduled appearances include TRNSMT Festival, Wide Awake and 2000Trees, as well as various European events. Visit here for tickets.
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