Singer Leon Bridges On Preserving Soul Music & Using Love As His Muse
Leon Bridges is a student of soul. One spin of his debut album, Coming Home, makes that clear.
His voice, a riveting time travel to days of old, emerges from an era where music made you feel--an era before his time.
Often compared to Sam Cooke, it might come as a surprise that the 28-year-old Texas crooner grew up on '90s R&B fueled by Usher to Ginuwine and Dru Hill to 112. Or that as an aspiring choreographer, he never anticipated he'd sign a deal with Columbia Records neither more earn two Grammy nominations for his first project.
"I knew that I had a gift, and that's why I was persistent with it," Leon tells me of his foray into singing. "Honestly, in Fort Worth, there isn't an infrastructure to make it even if you wanted to, so for me, it was about taking it day by day and working to get better."
Leon is, indeed, a far cry from bussing tables to make ends meet but no less humble as made evident throughout our call. Even with an Australian tour behind him and tons of promo up ahead, the Fort Worth star is measured in tone as he touches on his journey to his second album, Good Thing.
Had the onetime dance major not tried his hand at jam sessions with musicians he met in college, it's possible we wouldn't be holding our conversation this Tuesday afternoon. "Affirmation from the people around me sparked my interest in songwriting, so I took it a little further. Then, also being inspired by Making the Band 4 with P. Diddy was one of the pivotal points for me," he says with a laugh.
While sharpening his talent at local open mics, where he was discovered by White Denim guitarist Austin Jenkins, Leon would later find the depths of his voice within classic soul. "As a black man, I felt it was my duty to create that kind of music and bring it to the mainstream," he expresses.
"As a black man, I felt it was my duty to create that kind of music and bring it to the mainstream."
With songs like "Coming Home" and "Better Man," off his 2015 album, Leon accomplished just that as he lured national attention for his retro sound and refreshing takes on love. Ask him about the four-letter word, though, and he'll admit he's still taking notes. "I'm definitely no expert on relationships," he confesses. "The last relationship I've been in was in 2014."
While his career is a top priority at this time, Leon isn't shutting down the opportunity to let love in if it comes his way. Nor is he shying away from the complexity of the topic in his music. On Good Thing, he paints a vast picture of the rollercoaster ride romance can be. Sometimes it's daunting ("Bet Ain't Worth The Hand"), other times fulfilling ("If It Feels Good, Then It Must Be"). Sometimes we're ready to test the waters with new interests ("Shy"); other times we're left to mend bruised hearts from the ones we trusted ("Forgive You").
More than a personal diary, Leon notes that his music is ultimately for the people.
Whether he's writing a song or arranging a video, others are on his mind at all turns. With the help of director Natalie Rae, for instance, he released a timely visual addressing sexual harassment for his lead single "Bad Bad News" this March. "There are some women who are close to me that have been sexually violated, so I thought it was important to present that in the video but also show how the woman (Paloma Elsesser) is better than and persevered through the disrespect," he says.
But it's the album's final track, "Georgia to Texas," that reveals what has shaped Leon's outlook on love the most and nurtured his ability to tell stories beyond his own with such precision.
On the stirring number, Leon hits critical points of his origin story as he pulls his sophomore effort in for landing. In under five minutes, he traces his fleeting days in Atlanta, a difficult move to the Lone Star State (which made him hyper-aware of his blackness), and his family's modest financial situation. "Growing up, it was hard to see my mother raise me and my siblings on her own," he reflects. "It taught me the importance of hard work and the value of loving others."
It was love, the singer explains, that kept them afloat in an ocean of hardship.
This isn't the first time Leon has made mention of his family on wax. On Coming Home, he dedicated the song "Lisa Sawyer" to his mother and "Twistin' & Groovin'" to his grandparents, whom he reveals he never had the chance to meet. "I'm very proud of my family history," he affirms. "I try to keep their stories alive within my music."
"I'm very proud of my family history. I try to keep their stories alive within my music."
What is new is his current detour from the 1960s feel he rekindled more than three years ago. "I wanted to make an album that's reflective of the different styles of R&B that I love," he describes Good Thing, citing The Whispers and Kool & The Gang among his influences this time around.
Just like his panoramic view on love and selfless approach to storytelling, Good Thing proves Leon's discography cannot be boxed in--something he hopes will be felt in years to come. "I want my music to transcend time. I make what's honest to me and true to who I am," he muses. "I feel it's a style that's universal. I hope when I'm gone that people will be able to connect with my tunes."
For more Leon, follow him on Instagram. And check out his sophomore album Good Thing, out now.
Featured image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Hilton Honors
Shanice Davis is a writer from New York, dedicated to illuminating women of color and Caribbean culture with her pen. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @alwayshanice.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images