Ian Thomas Hoelen is not a new face to the music scene. He has been around for a while now and he has already established a name for himself. He is a European singer, actor and artist from Belgium. He was born on April 30th 1997 so he will be making 18 this year. He belongs to the genres of pop and R&B, and his instruments are the guitar and his voice.
Personally, I respect artists that have their voices as instruments. They have the capacity to entertain an audience wherever they are. They have their instrument with them all the time. And it is such a reliable instrument, and having the confidence to state it as one of your instruments, shows the level of confidence one has in their voice. Ian Thomas is one of those exceptionally and vocally endowed artists.
He was born in a family where the careers were all showbiz related. His mother, Brigitte Derks, is a professional choreographer, his stepfather, Chris Van Tongelen, is an actor and his biological father, Frank Hoelen, is also an actor. This was a clear sign that Ian Thomas was born to be a star, and entertainment flowed in his blood. It is no surprise, therefore, that he is such a talented singer, and he has nurtured this gift to exploit its full potential. He grew up with the right examples and inspirations for the journey he was about to undertake; a journey he was destined to undertake.
The excitement of discovering a new young artist takes me back to the time Justin Bieber was introduced to the world. Seeing young unspoiled talent dominating the industry is amazing. It gives a certain level of satisfaction knowing that we have talent that can be realized and nurtured at such delicate age. Ian Thomas brings back that excitement. When you listen to him sing, the naturalness and innocence in his music is overwhelming. It is so impressive how such young talent can make music that appeals to everyone. He holds the power to change the world and touch lives at his young age.
He was discovered in 2011 after he did a cover of Justin Bieber’s hit song “Baby.” His cover of the hit song went viral on YouTube, and it earned him a lot of recognition on social media. His name soon became a name to watch. The immense success of his cover started getting attention from top dogs in the entertainment industry and it later landed him a contract with Universal Music.
With three albums to his name, titled More than a Game, Diversity and Gametime, he has displayed growth and maturity with each album. More than a Game was released in November 2011 and it sold and reached gold status in Belgium. This album introduced the young gifted artist to the world. Diversity was released in April 2013 and it was also received well by the audiences. The follow-up album Gametime was released in 2014 and it expanded Ian’s global recognition, sealing his place in the ever so competitive global music industry.
He is most renowned for features on songs like “Walking on Air” with Australian producer Anise K and American rapper Snoop Dogg. This song became a hit, and the world was asking questions about Ian Thomas. This was the big break into the international market and it launched his international musical career. His other hit songs include “Rain,” “Another Round” off his Diversity album, “Love x4,” which went to number one on iTunes; “Run Away” and “Slow Down,” which peaked at number two, all off his Gametime album.
Most recently, he released his long awaited single titled “Cheers” which features Young Money rapper, Tyga. “Cheers” is an amazing song that shows off his full potential as a singer that is easily the next big thing in the industry. Ian Thomas is an exceptional young man who is on the right path to attaining the success he has worked so hard for.
The problem with young people that attain huge success in the industry is that they lose it at one point. The fame and the money become a drug, and they divert them from the main purpose which is entertaining people. They get sunken into the fame and parties and before you know it, they are walking down the “washed-up” lane. Justin Bieber is probably the epitome of such young successes, and I hope Ian Thomas does not fall victim to this disease that is slowly eating up the young talent in the industry. He is currently working on more projects, and we can’t wait.
FDRMX Eyes: Coffee or Not is an alternative indie band from Belgium. Check out the three-piece band’s music video called “Dear Moon.”
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