South Georgia country artist RVSHVD (pronounced RA-SHAD), releases the official music video for “Drowning Man” from his debut album, It’s Rashad (out 9/20) – available now on all platforms through The Penthouse South/Sumerian Records/Virgin Music. The video, directed by Nate Rose and David Piersaul and matching the emotion-filled track and featuring an overworked and overburdened businessman searching for relief in the bottom of a bottle, premiered Thursday on CMT’s prestigious Paramount Times Square billboard. With the release, RVSHVD continues to showcase his “carefully curated” and “genre-melding sound” (Billboard) with his unique mix of country, Hip Hop, R&B, and rock that “is turning heads in the country music scene” (All Country News).
“I’m so excited for everyone to see the music video for ‘Drowning Man,’” said RVSHVD. “We had a great time shooting it, and I appreciate David and Nate for bringing the song to life visually. I can’t believe the video premiered in Times Square. I appreciate CMT and Paramount for the support they’ve been giving. I’ve been to Times Square once, but I never thought my video would be up there. That’s crazy.”
In September, RVSHVD released his debut album, IT’S RASHAD, which showcases who RVSHVD is as an artist beginning with the pronunciation of his uniquely spelled name. The 19-track album is fueled not only by stories he has accumulated throughout his time while living in South Georgia, and as a traveling artist, but also with his own personal experiences such as “Drowning Man,” which is currently being featured as part of SiriusXM’s The Highway’s On The Horizon program, and “Wasn’t For You.” RVSHVD adds his own signature flare with a blend of genres attached to his country upbringings that ties the project together to create both a debut album – and a debut to the artist himself.
Previously released tunes from the project include the despondent “Couldn’t Be Me,” July release “Proof” – a collaboration with hit metal group All That Remains – and the mid-tempo comparison between love and the frontier, “Wild Wild West.”
Raised on rap and rock, it seems unlikely that someone like RVSHVD (pronounced RA-SHAD) would end up in the country genre. But the viral, Georgia-bred artist, who’s always surrendered to the natural progression of life, organically found his way there – and it’s clear country music is where he belongs. “At some point, something clicked in my head: ‘you listen to country music, but you’ve never tried to write or perform it.’” That life-altering moment laid the foundation for a career that’s already seen over 1.5M TikTok followers, over 400k Instagram followers, and over 135M streams on Spotify alone, setting the stage for a successful release of his debut album, It’s Rashad – out now.