Rayvon Owen

Rayvon Owen smoothly, and seemingly effortlessly, brings authenticity and emotion to his lyrical narrative and melodies. USA TODAY once said of Owen, “He developed a reputation for a singer willing to sacrifice technical perfection for a moment of authentic emotion.” Each song in his catalogue is a glimpse into who Owen is as a person, and a testament to the joy that can only come from being yourself.

His newest single, “Honesty,” will be released in April 2020; it will be the first song from his forthcoming EP, Las Virginia, which he recently wrapped recording. “I feel like with this new EP I am redefining who I am and showing the world that I’m not just a singer, but an artist and songwriter with a perspective and story to tell.”

Las Virginia reflects Owen’s journey of growth, as well as the combination of where he came from with who he is now. “It’s all about my internal yin and yang, growing up in the east but now living in the west, and the battle of who I was taught to be versus who I am becoming.” Owen has also coyly said, “What happens in Las Virginia . . . ended up on this EP,” in reference to a troubled romantic situation from his past. “I’m proud that I can freely sing about what I’ve been through now. All of the lyrics on my last EP seemed like they were about a girl . . . but they definitely weren’t.”

Authenticity is a common theme within the native Virginian's music; past EPs delved deeply into themes of personal authenticity, self-confidence, and love. It took awhile to get there, however.

Following his journey as a Season 14 Top 4 finalist on American Idol, Owen embarked on a 38-city tour as part of American Idols LIVE! He had garnered national recognition but felt like he was “living a lie.” After finding himself in a serious relationship with a man, Owen made the brave decision to come out—through his music, of course.

On Valentine’s Day in 2015, Owen released the music video for his first post-Idol single, “Can't Fight It,” along with an exclusive Billboard interview that publicly shared Owen's story as a gay man. In spite of some negative backlash, “Can't Fight It” went on to have over 1 million YouTube views and over half a million Spotify streams. Later that same year, after releasing his EP Air, he also earned the moniker of L.A. Music Award’s “Rising Star.”

Owen’s glowing collection of pop gems—layered with textures of soul, R&B, and incandescent synth—have earned attention from the likes of People Magazine, Huffington Post, USA Today, and Billboard. Recent singles have included: “Flexin’ My Vibe,” with a feature appearance from the “Selfie Kid,” Ryan McKenna; “Tonight” with a feature from Matillo; “Like a Storm;” and “X,” which Owen credits for inspiring the vibe of Las Virginia.

Onstage, Owen has appeared with some of the most prolific and prominent recording artists, including Jamie Foxx, Ricky Martin, Boy George, and Frankie Grande. He toured with Postmodern Jukebox all over the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South America, and has sung the National Anthem for several major sporting events, including at games for the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Clippers, and Phoenix Suns.

Additionally, Owen is honored to have performed at over sixty colleges nationwide and has been a featured performer at LGBT Pride Festivals in Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky, and Los Angeles, California—a particular honor for him. “People experience and hear countless negative things every day. I think you can get really down when you’re only hearing negative things about what people are saying about you, or what people are doing to you. I think that the best thing you can do is to be yourself and I hope that people find that message through my music.”

Other significant appearances and accolades have included being Elvis Duran's “Artist of the Month” (Jan/Feb 2018); performing his single “Gold” on the TODAY Show; winning the “Rising Star” award at the 2015 L.A. Music Awards; having “Gold” featured as Nylon Magazine's “Best Releases of the Week” (Jan 2018); and receiving nearly 3 million YouTube views combined of his covers of “Ignition” and “Don’t Let Me Down” with Postmodern Jukebox.

Whether onstage, in the studio, or deep into the songwriting process, Rayvon Owen strives to entertain his listeners, while also creating an immersive and inspirational experience. “I love singing about love, life experiences, and my journey growing up to be the person I am today.”