Declan McKenna has yesterday released a music video for his single ‘Rapture,’ which is from his latest album ‘Zeros,’ which was released this year. The video is lovably chaotic and features a diverse range of characters from McKenna himself sporting his new 80s inspired mullet, to news reporters and hi-vis jacketed workers as the star walks through a suburban setting which appears to have been the scene of a massacre.
There is an amusing throwback theme to the cheap and cheerful horror flicks which were popular in cinema’s in the latter part of the last century, what Frank Zappa described as Cheapnis, with the title of the song being displayed in a cute blood dripping text font and a charmingly lo-fi approach to prop and costumes which makes the video seem all very down to earth and is all the more appealing for that fact. The song dabbles with religious themes and the video cuts to scenes of the devil dressed in red and enjoying the chaos unfolding in the English suburban setting.
Declan McKenna’s music has always been very deeply rooted in the concerns of everyday young people in the Uk and he is unashamedly outspoken and political, giving his opinion not just on issues such as sexuality or gender equality but also making his thoughts about certain leaders very clear. ‘Rapture,’ is no exception and in keeping with the albums 80s inspired sound he sings ‘Mrs. Thatcher, Your cruel heart navigates the world we live in, With its anger, Going nowhere, coming atcha.’
This view of, not just the former Prime Minister, but of the ideology of Thatcherism which continues to have an impact on all of our lives through more recent Conservative governments, beginning with David Cameron’s coalition government in 2010 and continuing in its more extreme form today with our present government let by the pro-brexit Boris Johnson and his Cabinet, is not uniquely held by McKenna. It is a view shared by many young people who tend to identify with the left wing politics of figures like Jeremy Corbyn and it is likely that they may see Declan McKenna as something of a rallying point at this time.
Zero’s, which was released on the 17th of September 2020, was met with with a very positive response and performed commercially much better than his debut album ‘What Do You Think About The Car,’ reaching number 2 on the official album charts, whereas the former made it to number 11. This is a sure sign of the dedicated cult following which has remained loyal to McKenna despite the long gap between his albums, as well as the new fans which he has managed to attract with his new look and sound.
Declan McKenna is due to tour in support of the album in 2021, full UK dates are as follows:
19/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
20/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Liverpool
22/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Oxford
23/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Bournemouth
34/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Leicester
26/03/2021 – Nick Rayns LCR UEA – Norwich
27/03/2021 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge
28/03/2021 – O2 Academy – Bristol
30/03/2021 – Cardiff University Students Union – Cardiff
01/04/2021 – O2 Academy – Brixton
02/04/2021 – O2 Academy – Brixton
03/04/2021 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
05/04/2021 – Rock City – Nottingham
06/04/2021 – O2 Academy – Newcastle
08/04/2021 – O2 Academy – Leeds
09/04/2021 – Albert Hall – Manchester
10/04/2021 – Albert Hall – Manchester
12/04/2021 – SWG3 – Glasgow
13/04/2021 – SWG3 – Glasgow
