Kneecap second in the UK made history

The Kneecapswith their new album “Fenian” (review here)they achieved number two in the UK charts and, as they also wrote on their Instagram page, they literally made history. This is because no project with majority Irish-language lyrics, in Gaelic, had ever reached so high in the rankings. For a certain period it even looked like they could reach first place, but in the end they were overtaken by Michael Jackson. Two years ago, as they themselves recalled on social media, “Fine Art” stopped at 43rd position. This data makes it clear how much the band has grown, also in the wake of the controversies, trials and censorship they risked suffering. But this is a historic result not only for a musical question.

The Irish language is not just a traditional language: it is also a political language. Kneecap use it exactly for this reason, as a tool for reclamation. With British rule in Ireland, attempts were made to cancel it, eliminate it from schools and prevent its use. Kneecap recover it and bring it into their songs, using it as a means to affirm an identity and a desire for independence. For this reason, their second place is not simply the result of a record with a folk linguistic matrix, but it also represents a political result.

Many listeners may not fully understand the lyrics, but still support their cause and message. “When the English occupied Ireland, they created a school system in which teaching was given in English. Now English is one of its main spoken languages. The Irish language, however, has somehow survived and now we are recovering it, bringing it back from the brink of extinction to a new flowering. And how are we doing it? With music. With rap, which once again is at the service of the oppressed and is a genre open to all”, explained DJ Próvaí in our interview. Coming second in the UK charts, for a band so openly antagonistic, political and rebellious, is therefore an extraordinary achievement.