Pink Sweat$: 5 Things You Need To Know
Inspired by Cam’ron to wear the color pink with confidence, Pink Sweat$ earned his stage name in the studio as he recorded his earliest songs wearing the same pair of pink H&M sweatpants each day. Yet there’s more to Sweat$’s artistry than his affinity for aesthetic consistency.
Despite having only released about 30 minutes' worth of music between his EPs Volume 1 and Volume 2, Pink Sweat$ is undoubtedly a studio rat. First discovering his love for music as a drummer in his childhood church, the 27-year-old honed his craft in the lab as a songwriter and composer before embarking on a career as a singer and performer.
With his debut album still in the works, here are five things you need to know about BET’s Amplified artist of the month.
Pink Sweat$ first established himself in the music industry as a songwriter and demo vocalist
The historic Philly Sigma Sound Studios would be his home away from home, as he tracked demo records for other artists. Sweat$ co-wrote “Child Please” and “Pretty Ugly” with fellow Philly native Tierra Whack before working with pop acts such as The Chainsmokers and Shawn Mendes.
His independently released single 'Honesty' is what caught the attention of heavy hitters in the industry
After his falsetto-sung “Honesty” caught the ear of superstars such as Trey Songz and Chris Brown, and eventually found itself on Spotify’s “Are & Be” playlist, Sweat$ signed a publishing deal with Artist Publishing Group in 2018. He would later sign with Atlantic Records, securing distribution through Human Re Sources.
He suffered from a rare esophageal disorder, achalasia, that has motivated him to share his voice with the world
Sweat$’s urgency to sing came after he survived a three-year battle with achalasia, which damages the nerves in your esophagus, making his daily routines unbearable. Sweat$ told Rolling Stone that being diagnosed put things into a different perspective for him. “I didn’t know if this would lead to me losing my voice,” he said. “When I got out the hospital bed, I just felt like a new person. My mind was renewed and refreshed, it was like I hit a reset button,” Sweat$ stated during an interview with Beats 1.
If he could collaborate with anyone, it would be John Mayer
“I feel like with John Mayer… we do similar music styles but the way that I sing and write is different than him,” Sweat$ said when speaking with Songkick. With a shared love of composing, singing and songwriting, Mayer and Sweat$ have more in common than the average fan may assume. Despite operating with different methodologies and techniques, both artists pull sounds from pop, folk, soul and country, creating simple yet emotive compositions.
Growing up in a strict Christian household, Pink Sweat$ was not allowed to listen to secular music
Despite the content of his own music, Pink Sweat$ was banned from listening to nonreligious records until he was 17. “I couldn’t,” he told the hosts of The Breakfast Club “My father would [catch me listening] and say, ‘Hey! Turn that off.’ We knew not to play that game.” The restriction only fueled his creativity, though, and inspired him to appreciate and learn about different genres. Once Sweat$ came of age, 50 Cent and Kanye West were two of the first secular artists he was introduced to.
