Blending rustic folk with soulful grit and modern pop ambition, Ireland's Dermot Kennedy rose to popularity in the late 2010s with hits like "Power Over Me" and "Outnumbered." His 2019 debut, Without Fear, was a global success and reached number one in Ireland and the U.K. After appearing on the 2021 Meduza hit "Paradise," he returned with the singles "Better Days" and "Something to Someone," paving the way for his sophomore full-length, 2022's Sonder.

A native of County Dublin, Kennedy began writing songs in his teens, eventually releasing the EP Dancing Under Red Skies in 2013. Honing his craft over the next few years, he found viral success with his single "After Rain," which racked up millions of streams in 2016. Kennedy's follow-up EP, 2017's Doves Ravens, signaled a more pop-oriented approach with contributions from some heavy-hitting industry players like co-songwriter Charlie Hugall (Låpsley, Florence + the Machine) and producers Stephen Kozmeniuk and Carey Willetts. In 2018, Kennedy collaborated with legendary hip-hop producer Mike Dean for his third EP, Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy, which inherited some of the poppier sounds of Doves Ravens, as well as pulling from genres like hip-hop and R&B. The tracks from these EPs, alongside various singles, were compiled onto Dermot Kennedy, a 2019 compilation album.

This was followed by two further singles, "Lost" and "Outnumbered," the latter of which marked Kennedy's debut in the U.K. Top 40 singles chart. Both of these were included on his debut album, Without Fear, which was issued in September of that year. It topped the charts in Ireland and hit number 18 on the Billboard 200. 2020 saw the release of the EP Lost in the Soft Light, a set of live, stripped-down versions of songs from Without Fear. That same year, Kennedy was the featured vocalist on "Paradise," the chart-topping hit by Italian production trio Meduza. In 2021, he contributed a cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.

In 2022, Kennedy released his sophomore full-length, Sonder, which featured production by Scott Harris, Jonah Shy, Ryan Linvill, and others. Buoyed by heartfelt singles "Better Days," "Something to Someone," and "Kiss Me," Sonder topped the Irish, Scottish, and U.K. album charts. ~ Timothy Monger & David Crone, Rovi