Themis Gkiosasi
London artist Rasharn Powell kicks off the year by releasing his new single "Joyride", taken from his debut Haven EP. Produced by Luca Buccellati (who has previously worked with Lana Del Rey, Tei Shei and many more) the single is a soothing hit with tranquil vocals that provide the listener with a view into Rasharn’s storytelling mind. Speaking about the track, Rasharn says:
"Joyride is the marrying of two contrasting worlds, on one side there is love and a lustful journey with a girl you like, and then on the flip, it touches upon police brutality and the position of a black man in society. The lyric ‘Can’t be a black boy in a nice car’ is very real for me."
His love for music started at a young age, when his grandfather introduced him to dancehall and dubplates. In later years he got lost in literature, he discovered poetry before songwriting and now draws inspiration from artists like James Baldwin, Marlo Morgan as well as Bon Iver and Andre 3000. Rasharn finds inspiration in everything, confessing that some of his best lyrics stem from daydreaming in the stockroom at his part-time job at Selfridges. With the release of his 2019 track, Warm In These Blue Jeans, he broke through the noise and he started getting the recognition he deserves. Organically making its way onto the B List at Radio 1xtra, the five-minute track continues to surprise listen after listen.
Quickly proving himself to be amongst the most gifted up-and-coming singer/songwriters, we now know to expect the unexpected. Rasharn’s self-released debut Haven EP will be out on April so make sure to check it out. Until then you can listen to "Joyride" and enjoy not only the song but the visuals that he provided as well. The video clip was directed Avesta Keshtmand & Kiane Blackman and you can watch it above!
Find Rasharn Powell