The ability to evolve artistically is critical for success and sustainability in the music industry, and Kelvyn Boy is aware of this. He takes pride in his ability to cross genres.
Kelvyn Boy: The Ghanaian Afrobeats artist with an Intercontinental sound [Pulse Interview]
Kelvyn Boy's single 'Down Flat' is doing well in Ghana and Nigeria. It is a well-deserved success for an artist who has worked hard for the better part of a decade. In this interview, the Afrobeats star discusses his journey thus far, his understanding of Afrobeats, and his desire for success in this interview.
Kelvyn Boy (SoundCloud)
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In 2019, the Ghanaian singer released his debut album, 'T.I.M.E.’ The EP's focus was primarily on Dancehall, and it established him as one of the stars poised to disrupt Ghana's popular dancehall scene.
His sophomore album, 'Blackstar,' was released a year later. The fast-rising Ghanaian star went through a 360-degree sonic evolution for the project. Kelvyn Boy the dancehall artist had given way to Kelvyn Boy the rising Afrobeats star.
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Kelvyn Boy - Blackstar Album Art
Pulse Nigeria
Afrobeats was on the rise in 2020, thanks to the international success of Nigerian artists. In order to achieve such levels of success and fame, aspiring artists had no choice but to study and apply the blueprint.
Kelvyn Boy identified the dominant sound and decided to keep up with the times when discussing what inspired the change in sound.
"If you go back four to six years back, the Ghanaian sound is typical dancehall, hiplife, and highlife. At the time I released my first EP, dancehall was the vibe. So I did something the audience could relate to,’ he said. "As time went on, I decided to change my sound. I was gradually cutting off such vibes bit by bit and now I do typical Afrobeats."
Identity is crucial for rising Afrobeats stars. They like to brand themselves with a distinct sound that takes them away from the crowd making their sound and brand visible to many. He described his sound as "all about Afrobeats" and "unconcerned with the various subgenres that have sprung up under Afrobeats."
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" I don't confuse myself a lot. I just say Afrobeats with the ‘s’ " Afrobeats have so many sounds within them and it gives us the chance to explore. With Afrobeats, I can fuse different sounds." he enthuses "When you say Afropop, you box yourself into a corner and that's very limiting."
While many mainstream audiences are only now becoming aware of Kelvyn Boy's music, he has been around for a while, and his current success is the result of years of hard work.
For an artist who had spent the majority of his career as an independent artist, the road to fame could not have been easy. When asked Kelvyn Boy about his journey thus far, he told the familiar tale of a bumpy road.
"I won't lie, it has not been an easy road. But if you're born to do music you will have to go through the journey,” he continues, while smiling. “You can't skip the process. The experience I have on the way has made me stronger."
Kelvyn Boy, like many other music stars, discovered his love for music as a child in church.
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"I used to watch my Father sing in the Church. Then I also started singing in the Church." Kelvyn Boy says. "Then I graduated from singing in the Church to singing at weddings, birthdays, and parties. After that, I graduated to doing freestyles on the streets before eventually going to the studio to record."
Kelvyn Boy had to wait a while before getting his chance to showcase his talent professionally. The opportunity came to be noticed by Ghanaian dancehall superstar Stonebwoy, and he seized it with both hands.
"One day, I met Stonebwoy and he introduced me to the world. I knew this was the moment I have always been waiting for and I put in the work my dropping back to back. And today, I'm more known and successful."
Kelvyn Boy has made a concerted effort to create songs that are not limited by language or geography since his foray into Afrobeats. The efforts to create music that appeals to audiences outside of Ghana have resulted in criticism that he does not sound Ghanaian. Kelvyn Boy is proud of the universal identity of his music.
"Yeah, that is how it should be. I don't have to sound Ghanaian. I don't have to box myself in a corner. My goal is to sound continental and international."
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Kelvyn Boy's trending single 'Down Flat' demonstrates his understanding of making Afrobeats songs. The song's success attests to this claim. Kelvyn Boy sees the single as proof of his desire to make international music.
"The interesting thing is that the producer is a Nigerian and the beat sounds like a typical highlife beat that you will expect from a Ghanaian producer," Kelvyn tells me. "This just shows that Nigeria and Ghana inspire each other and you don't need to box yourself into a corner by wanting to only sound Ghanaian."
Kelvyn Boy appeared in a couple of Afrobeats songs in 2022, including Matino's 'Mofe Jaiye mi' and Fiokee's 'Number 1.' He was outstanding in all of them. This demonstrates his artistry and understanding of Afrobeats even more. When I asked Kelvyn Boy why other artists like to collaborate with him, he said it's all about the vibe.
"I think it's the vibe and it's necessary for these collaborations to happen. I go way back with these artists and they keep bringing different songs that I can collaborate on so when I eventually find the one I like, I jump on it."
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Kelvyn Boy wants to consolidate the success of 'Down Flat' by collaborating with top artists from Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK for the remix.
Remixes have been instrumental in assisting rising Ghanaian stars to break into Nigeria. Kelvyn Boy aspires to join Ghanaian artists Gyakie, Black Sherif, and Camidoh whose music has made waves in Nigeria through remixes.
Kelvyn Boy believes that Afrobeats has yet to reach its full potential in Ghana. This is why he has chosen to market himself as a Ghanaian musician with a continental sound. Kelvyn Boy's ambition is to take his music across Africa and around the world, as other big names in Afrobeats have done. And with his talent and drive, he has no reason not to aim for the stars.
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