Back in 2009, when he was still only 11 years old, Ivan Kelley called himself “Lilman”, and rocked viewers of the Ellen Degeneres Show with his incredible cover of the Smokey Robinson classic, ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’. Zoom forward in time and now performing as Ivan The Greatness, he’s showing that he’s not so “lil” anymore. With his latest single and video, ‘Power 2030’, Ivan shows that he’s got the right stuff to succeed.
Starting back in Chattanooga Tennessee, Ivan grew up the son of R&B singer, Dirty Soul. You could say music was in his blood, and it didn’t take him long for him to discover his passion and talent for the artform. By the time he made national headlines with his performance on The Ellen Show, he was already a master pianist, and his vocal cords charmed everyone, whether he was singing in talent shows or the church choir.
After his appearance on the show, his parents took the wise step to take him out of mainstream school and homeschool him, protecting him from the typical fate of a child star. He landed for himself a role in the Queen Latifah film, ‘Joyful Noise’, and from there, launched an R&B project under his own name.
Now, as Ivan the Greatness, the artist has been releasing a series of catchy singles, leading up to his ‘Unbreakable’ album. His new single, ‘Power 2030’, is an anthemic call to motivate people to not do it for the money. Drum-heavy, electronic and with a driving percussive beat, Ivan belts out his fearless attitude towards life, affirming that we should stand by those big dreams we’ve had for our lives. Synths and horns create an almost futuristic vibe, while piano chords bring us back to the present time.
‘Power 2030’ is accompanied by a similarly futuristic music video, directed by Paul Warner. We are transported to a whole new world, a moody futuristic cityscape. Ivan enters the scene dressed in a mechanised suit, customised from his spaceship, which hovers above. We follow Ivan as he runs through battles as if in a video game, fighting robo-ghosts, and chasing suitcases filled with money. The clip leaves us wanting more, and thankfully it’s just one part of a series of videos that will span the entire ‘Unbreakable’ album.
You can watch the music video for ‘Power 2030’ on YouTube, and you can find out more about Ivan The Greatness and his music online on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
