If you read my rising artists to watch out for in 2022 article, you know that I love a "do it all" artist – someone who puts such care and attention to detail into every part of their craft, from songs, to videos, to merch. Jean Dawson and Paris Texas are two of my favorite artists because of this, both able to portray such unique narratives across various mediums. Artists like these aren’t easy to come across, which is why I was so excited when I found out about Max Bennett Kelly – described as an artist, singer-songwriter, producer, video director, graphic designer, and overall creative. 

His latest release, “Fresh Green at the Gallery,” is just his fifth song out and continues to build on his sound, proving the title of “pop punk, TikTok artist” wrong. He is, “eclectic, sourcing inspiration from a plethora of different artists and genres, reinventing himself with every new song he creates” and this single is no exception to this. It’s an alluring indie pop song, yet carries a deeper message than the soft spoken vocals will lead you to believe. 

Speaking on the meaning, Max Bennett Kelly said, “Early on in my music career I thought I had imposter syndrome, but I had this brutal moment of self-awareness when I figured out it wasn’t some syndrome, I was just an actual imposter.” The song is a vivid retelling of this situation, while the self directed music video produces similar emotions. “This video was really inspired by feelings of guilt and trying to hide something, perhaps a darker part of yourself,” he said. “I see the main character as a guilty man, running from his demons who also happen to be himself. I thought of it as layers to a dream, parts of it happening in reality and parts of it being imaginary. As the song weaves through past and present experiences, the music video similarly flows between reality and fantasy.”

It’s apparent that Max Bennett Kelly can do it all, now we just have to wait and see where his talents take him. Listen to “Fresh Green at the Gallery” below:

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