Pink Sweats, 17 | Track Review 🎵

Although rising R&B singer Pink Sweat$ fails to ever break a sweat on single, “17,” it’s a potent, thoughtful, and well-rounded record.

Cool, but energetic; never breaks a sweat, yet still packs a punch.  These are some ways to characterize rising R&B singer/songwriter, Pink Sweat$ (David Bowden).  He’s quite potent, but he doesn’t rely on gospel histrionics to get the job done.  Bowden impresses on “17,” his first brand-new single of 2020, following his 2019 cover of the Donny Hathaway Christmas staple, “This Christmas.”

“17” is a sound record through and through.  Pink Sweat$ delivers a gorgeous, refined vocal – nearly perfectly executed.  Beyond the vocal performance, the production is pretty sweet, with Bowden collaborating with John Hill.  The backdrop is nothing too wild – drums, bass, light pop/rock guitar, and keyboards.  While it’s not wild, the subtlety is a match made in heaven given Bowden’s subtlety and knack for restraint as opposed to overt.

Lyrically, “17” is also quite alluring.  The theme of love is nothing new, but the dedication that Pink Sweat$ sings about is awesome. “I would need a million words / If I tried to define / All the things you mean to me,” he sings on the first verse, later adding, “Every time you touch me / You remind me that I’m still alive.” That last part is suggestive, but yet, at the same time, Bowden doesn’t truly go left of center.  The best moment, of course, comes by way of the chorus:

“So promise you’ll never change
And I’ll always be the same
We’ll be dancing the same groove when we’re ninety-two
The same as seventeen
And I’ll never lie to you
Just don’t you hold back on me
I wanna love you as strong when when we’re ninety-two
The same as seventeen.”

Final Thoughts

Pink Sweat$ has a gem on his hands with “17.”  Even though it falls short of the three-minute mark, it’s a thoughtful, well-rounded love song.  It doesn’t necessarily reinvent R&B or the love song mind you, but Mr. Bowden has an excellence thing going, period.

Pink Sweat$ • “17 ” – Single • Atlantic • Release: 2.28.20

Photo Credit: Atlantic