David Bowden, otherwise known as Pink Sweat$, has been gaining momentum at a frightening rate for an artist whose debut album is yet to be released. His upward trajectory has been propelled in large part by his hit song Honesty, which racked up an incredible two million streams on Spotify in less than eight weeks when it was released in 2018, and currently has more than 35 million plays on YouTube.

Before releasing his own material, however, Bowden had already established himself as a songwriter and producer, having worked with a wide variety of artists including rapper Tierra Whack and country duo Florida Georgia Line.

Having successfully battled a rare esophageal condition, Bowden then decided to work on and release his own material, putting out two EPs to date, Volume 1 from which Honesty was taken, and Volume 2 a year later in 2019.

The Prelude is, therefore, the third EP from Pink Sweat$, whose name comes from Bowden’s apparent favourite attire to wear when in the recording studio, as his fans continue to wait for his upcoming debut album Pink Planet.

Thankfully it’s clear from the opening moments that The Prelude is more than enough to keep lovers of his minimal, soulful R&B happy while they’re waiting for that release.

Opening track Give It To Me is a gloriously catchy slow burner, while singles Icy and 17 are both built around dominant bass lines. Of the two, 17 is the more reflective track, and best showcases Bowden’s rich vocals.

Not Alright is a particular highlight, mixing slick production with a flurry of electric guitar and a smooth chorus. Lows and At My Worst continue the pattern and are great examples of Bowden’s lyrical ability, particularly the latter, which features the lines: “I need somebody who can love me at my worst / Know I’m not perfect, but I hope you see my worth / ‘Cause it’s only you, nobody new, I put you first / And for you, girl, I swear I’d do the worst”.

The Prelude then is a great collection and one which will only add more names to the growing list of people relishing the release of Pink Planet.

The Prelude track list:

1. Give It To Me

2. Icy

3. Not Alright

4. At My Worst

5. 17

6. Lows

 r&b      soul 

Watch the official video for Icy here, and the official video for 17 here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.