After returning earlier this year to release a new collaborative EP alongside Khruangbin, 'Texas Sun', Leon Bridges is back once again to unveil an extremely personal new collaboration.
The new single 'Sweeter' sees him team up with singer Terrace Martin, and was written from the perspective of a black man taking his last breath and feeling his spirit leave his body. It was originally written and recorded for a future album, however, in light of current events, Leon and Terrace felt compelled to release the song now.
Speaking about the new offering, Bridges said, “Growing up in Texas I have personally experienced racism, my friends have experienced racism. From adolescence we are taught how to conduct ourselves when we encounter police to avoid the consequences of being racially profiled. I have been numb for too long, calloused when it came to the issues of police brutality. The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer. Just as Abel’s blood was crying out to God, George Floyd is crying out to me. So, I present to you 'Sweeter'."
While Martin added, “It is always an honour to share a platform with my dear brother Leon Bridges. This is meditation music; it is not music for the ears but rather music for the heart. I truly believe that eyes have been deceiving us for so long but the heart always tells the truth. The heart needs to be repaired. Black folk have been deceived so many years, the only thing that can turn it around is a heart full of love.”
Have a listen to 'Sweeter' in the player below.