This Irish Children's Rap Is Going to Take Over Your Summer
Stills from the music video for "The Spark" by Rhyme Island, released by Creative Ireland. Credit - Creative Ireland YouTube
Think you can find a better song of the summer? I doubt it.
“The Spark,” a song by a group of Irish tweens that has taken off online since its release in May might just be the catchiest—and most inspiring—tune of the summer.
“Think you can stop what we do? I doubt it. We got the energy, I’ll tell you all about it,” goes the chorus. “I searched for my spark and I found it, everybody in the club start bouncing.”
The energetic song features the kids rapping over a bouncy, drum-and-bass techno beat about finding their spark in vibrant performances.
“The Spark” came as part of an arts initiative in Cork, Ireland, called Rhyme Island and was created to celebrate Cruinniú na nÓg, Ireland’s “national free day of creativity for young people.” The group of kids performing it are young rappers who are working with the Kabin Studio; according to The Guardian, they are between nine and 12 years old.
“We were looking to work with something upbeat and put on a drum’n’bass track. We found the beat and started coming up with chant and chorus ideas,” Kabin Studios creative director Garry McCarthy told The Guardian. He said the kids worked together to come up with the chorus and the verses. “The response has been amazing. The kids’ energy and positivity has inspired people. It’s a really catchy song.”
After it was reposted by a popular TikTok account in a video that accumulated over seven million views, “The Spark” began catching on. When Kabin Crew appeared on an Irish radio show, that video got over six million views. The videos posted on the Kabin Crew’s TikTok of the song have accumulated over four million views.
Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s hard not to bounce along and recite the lyrics along with the kids. Plenty of TikTok users have posted videos of their reactions to the song and offered their own dance moves.
Write to Moises Mendez II at moises.mendez@time.com.
