Young Cork and Clare rappers have found The Spark — and they've gone viral
They've got the energy: young rappers at The Kabin Studio in Knocknaheeney have gone viral over the weekend
A new music video from groups of young rappers and musicians from counties Cork and Clare has gone viral, with social media users around the world responding warmly to young people finding their Spark.
'The Spark' is the latest video from Rhyme Island, an initiative taking in young rappers from the Northside of Cork city via Knocknaheeney's Kabin Studio, and the Lisdoonvarna Crew from Co Clare, working with producer Garry McCarthy, aka GMCBeats, through the Kabin studio, a renowned non-profit music studio and learning facility.
The track itself is an uptempo electronic pop number featuring gang vocals and solo verses from a number of young wordsmiths, built on a chorus that's ready-made for kids' parties and summer playlists: "Think you can stop what we do? I doubt it/We've got the energy, we'll tell you all about it/I searched for my spark and I found it/Everybody in the crowd start bouncin'!"
The song has stolen the hearts of social media users over the weekend, after columnist and X/Twitter institution Séamas O'Reilly signal-boosted it, claiming it had "zero legitimate reason... to go this hard".
some Irish primary school kids made a tune and there is zero legitimate reason for it to go this hard holy shit https://t.co/GOiHDjpaWl
— The author, Séamas O'Reilly (@shockproofbeats) May 17, 2024
Virality across social media soon followed, with the song making its way to Instagram, where American music website Stereogum lauded it as a contender for song of the summer, and the video for the track was shared by influential US music journalist and DJ Anthony Fantano.
The song continues to make waves online, with American public-service broadcaster NPR giving it a write-up, referring to it as 'a wholesome banger'.
The video was directed by Kabin videographer Seán Downey, aka SwanIGuess, and filmed at The Kabin as well as on location in Knocknaheeney, and at Cork venue The Pavilion,
It releases ahead of Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of children's creativity in Ireland on June 15, where community outlets and arts facilities around the country will host free events and workshops — dedicated to showing young people how they can find a spark of their own.
