Barbados bred, Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist, producer, and artist Rex & The Rhythm just released a new hit single titled “Umbrella”. As Rex puts it, “‘Umbrella’ is about a relationship abruptly ending even though the forecast appeared to show clear skies and warm weather.” Sometimes a sunny day gets interrupted by a storm when we least expect it.
Rex captures the duality of our fluctuating emotions. He reveals, “I wanted the direct contrast to play on the emotions we all feel post break up. Angry but longing, sad but reaffirming yourself at the same time.” Sometimes a sunny day gets interrupted by a storm when we least expect it.
“Umbrella” artfully mimics the contrasting emotions experienced after a breakup, playing with the phenomenon of a sunny day being interrupted by a storm. Over bold strokes of percussion, spirals of electric guitar, and ruminative keys that fall like raindrops, “Umbrella” captivates with hard-hitting lyrical verses and an abstract, sugar-coated chorus.
Rex & The Rhythm began his career as a part of the Caribbean pop group Cover Drive, which gained remarkable success with three UK top ten hits, multi-platinum and silver singles. He’s opened for Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Ashanti, and Lauryn Hill, and has received high acclaim from Rolling Out, Fusicology, and Sweety High to name a few.
About:
Rex and the Rhythm (Rex) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and producer who spent his formative years hanging around the music studios of international superstar, Eddy Grant, on his historic plantation in Barbados.
Rex started playing the drums at nine. He later picked up the guitar and bass. At 15, his mother put him in the band she co-founded named Cover Drive, a Carib-pop band, which inked a deal with Polydor Records in the UK in 2010. The band, with Rex on drums and co-vocals, scored a number one hit,“Twilight,” on the UK Official Chart in 2012. That same year, Cover Drive went on to score a total of three UK top tens, multi-platinum and silver singles, and opened for Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson and Lauryn Hill.
After graduating from Full Sail University in 2020, Rex released his debut EP, #127 Solace in 2021. His solo sound had all the feel good elements of his previous band’s sonic with a bit less Caribbean and more alternative R&B vibes. In December 2022, Rex opened for Ashanti in Barbados at The Hennessy Artistry festival.
Then in February of 2023, Rex released his sophomore project, Secrets Behind Our Smiles. On the project, you can hear Rex’s artistry elements with a more urban contemporary sonic.
His recent single, “Highs & Grows” is a track inspired by 90s hip-hop legends including Outkast and A Tribe Called Quest. “Highs & Grows” strikes a distinctive mark between psychedelic soul, alt-pop, and hip-hop for a cosmic journey of inner-evolution, honoring both the pitfalls and peaks of being human.
The track explores an array of live percussion, sun-drenched electric guitar, and transcendental lyricism that is complemented by reverberating euphoric harmonies, resulting in a kaleidoscopic and uplifting sound. The music video for “Highs & Grows”, directed by DannyJFilms, pays homage to Outkast’s iconic single “Hey Ya!” and reflects an atmosphere of authenticity where Rex delves into the core essence of his creative process and sincerity as an artist.
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