Declan McKenna

At age 16, singer-songwriter Declan McKenna won the 2015 Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition and was awarded a slot on a festival stage. ∙ His self-released debut single, “Brazil”—a blistering critique of the 2014 World Cup being awarded to a nation mired in poverty—was a Top 20 hit and established him as a critics’ favorite. ∙ McKenna dropped out of high school at 17 to jump into the festival and club circuit, touring England, Ireland, and France by van. ∙ In 2017, he won the BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year award, beating out more than 15,000 competitors. ∙ Appearances at Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Glastonbury helped propel What Do You Think About the Car?, McKenna’s debut album, to No. 11 in the UK. ∙ His second album, Zeros, peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts, barely missing the top spot, which was claimed by The Rolling Stones.