Nicknamed after the attire he became known for wearing in recording studios, Pink Sweat$ is a singer and songwriter who favors sparsely arranged R&B ballads consisting of little more than his voice and guitar. After writing material for other artists, he made his recorded debut in 2018 and has released projects like 2020's The Prelude with the intent of creating a lasting emotional connection with listeners. Pink Sweat$' debut album, Pink Planet, arrived in early 2021, charting on the Billboard 200. It was followed by 2022's Pink Moon and EPs including 2023's Volume 3. A native of Philadelphia, David Bowden was musically inclined as a youngster. He learned to play drums and sang regularly. Raised in a religious household, he didn't get into secular music until his late teenage years, and eventually absorbed a wide breadth of genres. He got his start in the music industry as a demo vocalist and songwriter at Philly's historic Sigma Sound Studios. With no desire to become a recording artist himself, Bowden co-wrote material for the likes of Rosie Bondz, Natalie Imani, Aaron Camper (including the 2016 single "Guns and Roses"), and Tierra Whack (such as the 2017 single "Child Please" and 2018's "Pretty Ugly"). After surviving a severely debilitating three-year fight with a rare esophageal disorder, Bowden felt inspired to start keeping his songs to himself, and signed a digital distribution deal with Human Re Sources. He made his recorded debut as Pink Sweat$ in July 2018 with "Honesty" and "No Replacing You," a pair of heartfelt, unvarnished ballads that sharply contrasted with commercial R&B. Both songs appeared that November on Volume 1, his first EP. The similarly direct and brief Volume 2 arrived the following March. A steady stream of singles appeared over the next two years, including the 2020 ballad "17" and the bouncy "Ride with Me." To satiate fans waiting for the release of his first full-length, Pink Sweat$ offered up The Prelude EP in July 2020, which featured select songs from the still-in-the-making album. His debut, Pink Planet, finally saw release in February 2021 on Atlantic Records and reached number 133 on the Billboard 200. After joining HONNE on the track "What Would You Do?," Pink Sweat$ returned later that year with his own follow-up single "I Feel Good." In January 2022, he delivered his sophomore full-length, Pink Moon, with guest spots from 6LACK, Blxst, Tori Kelly, and others. That October, he returned with the non-album track "Lay Up N' Chill" featuring A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. An EP, Volume 3, arrived in August 2023 and featured the track "Run Through Fire." ~ Andy Kellman

David Gray

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