A fresh face, making waves in R&B
28 year old American singer/song writer, David Bowden, professionally known as Pink Sweat$, didn’t have a lot of musical influence growing up. It wasn’t until he was 19 years old that he started out as a demo vocalist and began songwriting. Then he survived a near death experience in his battle with Achalasia (a condition that effects the oesophagus), and transitioned from songwriting, into both writing and singing.
Philadelphia born and raised, Pink Sweat$ ascended quickly up the charts when he dropped his first album “Volume 1 EP,” and its most successful single “Honesty,” in 2018. In under 8 weeks “Honesty” hit the #10 spot on Spotify’s US Viral Chart and reached over 28 million hits on Youtube.
His climb continued after he dropped his second album “Volume 2 EP,” in late March, 2019. 5 songs and 14 minutes worth of pure brilliance, Pink is transforming the way we think of R&B.
Pink Sweat$ expresses a gender fluid colour choice wherever he goes, he has been able to shine a different and more positive kind of light on a genre that has been around since the 1940’s.
“We’re just trying to break the toxic masculinity vibes, I think it starts with one thing and leads to another, so like, how men view men, versus how men treat women. It’s all a trickle down effect, y’know? Pink, at the end of the day, is just a colour. If you have an issue with someone wearing a colour… you’re assuming someone’s this way or that way, based on the colour of their hoodie or clothing. That’s kind of weird.” he said in an interview with The Concordian.
Not just in it for the money and a good time, Pink Sweat$ aspires to make a difference in peoples lives through his music and uses his growing platform for good.
“The biggest thing for me was having something to say and I feel like a lot of people don’t have much to say. They just talk in gibberish and they don’t care what they say, how it affects someone, they just wanna get their money and be on their way. By the time I was of age and of mentality, it was like, what can I give back to my people? My people who grew up in the same neighbourhood as me, that look like me, that they see rappers and drug dealers and they feel like that’s the only option. So it’s like what if there’s a kid that’s me? Who wants to sing and he’s 10 years old and he sees a guy wearing pink who looks like he’s got his life together. That’s just a spark that could set off something or just somebody that might wanna be a doctor, like yo I don’t wanna sell drugs, I wanna go to school. I wanna be that example that I didn’t really see growing up,” he explains in an interview with Hit Up Ange.
Volume 2 EP maintains his genre bending sound, sticking mainly to guitar and soothing harmonies, rather than the norm of percussion and bass.
Track 1. I Know
Beginning the album with his smooth, acoustic sound, he immediately gets you tapping your feet along to the tune of this 3 minute long, simplistic song. With over 1 million streams on Spotify alone, he keeps away from large amounts of instruments, alternatively highlighting his show stopping vocals. Pink keeps his lyrics flirtatious, short and sweet, carrying you through a short and joyful trip that calms the soul.
I gave you my heart I aint seen it since pic.twitter.com/FjC5kMfKZT
— Pink Sweat$ (@realpinksweats) October 30, 2019
Track 2. Coke & Henny, Pt.1
This fun little track, delicately describes another flirtatious interaction between him and his love interest, longing for the touch of another person. It holds a tune that you desire to listen to on a Sunday afternoon, relaxing and joyful. Pink leads you through harmonies to prepare you for the second part of this song.
Track 3. Coke & Henny, Pt.2
With a change of sound, Pt. 2 goes deeper, clean picked guitar chords transition you into a love story that is no longer. His lyrics stating “Your love used to fill me up, but now I’m filling my cup”, his drinking going from joyful, to his source of numbing the feelings. A break up track to get you through the pain of reminiscing upon an ex lover.
I just hope that you’re sleeping alone pic.twitter.com/QUWmE8agrd
— Pink Sweat$ (@realpinksweats) September 30, 2019
Track 4. Your Side
The only song on the album with a touch of percussion, Pink Sweat$ continues on from the heartbreak in the song before it. Going through the process of getting over someone and having to sleep in your bed alone. “I’m stuck staring at your side of the bed” he sings, creating an image which many can relate to, playing on the heart strings of his listeners.
Track 5. Body Ain’t Me
To wrap up his work of art, the deeper sound continues. Few chords, simple lyrics and meaningful, this final track has you falling deeper in love with his way with words. In under 3 minutes Pink Sweat$ carries you through many emotions and leaves you wanting more.
Pink Sweat$ knows how to make you feel all of the feels without needing to say too much at all. He takes you through love and emotions without explicit language, provocative lyrics or degrading genders.
Imma need everyone to listen to The Volume 2 EP by Pink Sweats
— tommy (@TommyZcuz) March 29, 2019
“I never talk about sex in an explicit way; that’s intentional. I never degrade women; that’s intentional. I don’t have a [fancy] haircut. I wear pink. That’s not typical for the history of R&B.” Pink Sweat$ explained in an interview with Rolling Stone.
He is definitely an artist to watch as his success continues to sore through charts all over the world.
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