Ireland's Dermot Kennedy gained traction toward the end of the 2010s through a fusion of earthy folk textures, raw soulful delivery, and contemporary pop drive, propelled by tracks including "Power Over Me" and "Outnumbered." His first studio album, Without Fear, appeared in 2019 and became a worldwide commercial triumph, claiming the top spot on both the Irish and U.K. charts. Following a featured turn on the 2021 Meduza single "Paradise," he issued "Better Days" and "Something to Someone," setting the stage for his second full-length, Sonder, released in 2022 and likewise reaching number one in Ireland and the U.K.
Born in County Dublin, Kennedy began writing songs as a teenager and delivered the EP Dancing Under Red Skies in 2013. Building momentum in the years that followed, he attracted millions of streams with the 2016 single "After Rain." His next release, the 2017 EP Doves & Ravens, reflected a pronounced pop direction shaped by collaborators such as co-songwriter Charlie Hugall (Låpsley, Florence + the Machine) and producers Stephen Kozmeniuk and Carey Willetts. In 2018 he teamed with veteran hip-hop producer Mike Dean for the EP Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy, retaining some of the pop leanings heard on Doves & Ravens while drawing additional influence from hip-hop and R&B. Songs from these earlier EPs, together with assorted singles, were later assembled into the 2019 compilation album Dermot Kennedy.
Two further singles, "Lost" and "Outnumbered," arrived next, the latter becoming his first entry on the U.K. Top 40 singles chart. Both cuts were featured on Without Fear, which reached stores in September and topped the Irish albums chart while peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200. The 2020 EP Lost in the Soft Light collected intimate live renditions of material from Without Fear, and that same year Kennedy supplied the lead vocal for Meduza’s chart-topping "Paradise." He also contributed a cover of Metallica’s "Nothing Else Matters" to the 2021 charity compilation The Metallica Blacklist.
Sonder, Kennedy’s sophomore album, surfaced in 2022 with production input from Scott Harris, Jonah Shy, Ryan Linvill, and others. Anchored by the singles "Better Days," "Something to Someone," and "Kiss Me," it ascended to number one on the Irish, Scottish, and U.K. album charts. An expanded edition followed in June 2023 and added the ballad "Don't Forget Me." Later that year Kennedy joined YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Bailey Zimmerman on "Won't Back Down," which appeared on the FAST X soundtrack.
