Rambo Elliott
Leon Bridges
Fort Worth soul singer Leon Bridges released a new single Monday, tackling the topic of racism in light of the recent death of George Floyd.
"Sweeter," a collaboration with musician Terrace Martin, is a reflective, somber tune written from the perspective of a black man losing his life. Lyrics reference Martin Luther King Jr. and the existence of racism in the current world: "I thought we moved on from the darker days / Did the words of the King disappear in the air, like a butterfly? / Somebody should hand you a felony / Because you stole from me, my chance to be."
In an Instagram post announcing the song, Bridges opened up about his own experience with racism.
"From adolescence we’re taught how to conduct ourselves when we encounter police to avoid the consequences of being racially profiled," he wrote. "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."
Stream the song here: