OLAF GROWALD
The crooning sounds of, “In the summertime, on the southside, you know it's alright,” shoot out from the voice of Grammy award-winning artist Leon Bridges, via his Instagram page last week. This portion of a new song, he sung live via social media, has a message “A love letter to Fort Worth” posted up in the comments.
This song-snippet, along with several others, are part of a tease Bridges is doing in anticipation of his new upcoming album. Although this Fort Worthian hasn’t revealed the title of the album, he posted a quick message on Instagram talking about why and where he went to find his muse in the recording process.
“Had to go to Mexico to figure out the statement,” he wrote. “After the last few years, I wanted the music and songwriting to lead. Think we’ve finally landed on somethin’ that encapsulates everything I set out to do five years ago. From the og to the present, from my upbringing to life now & everythin’ in between. From Texas to Mexico and back. I’m coming home again.”
This news comes a few days after Bridges revealed his latest single, “Chrome Cowgirl,” which appears on the new “Twisters” movie soundtrack.
“Excited about this being the first taste of new music I get to share with all of you,” Bridges wrote on July 19. “I can’t wait to share what’s coming on #LB4, got lots more in store. I got another surprise up my sleeve. We’ll be in touch.”
This announcement was mere days before Bridges began sharing snippets, and live renditions of this new music via Instagram. This Fort Worth artist also shot a music video for his new song, possibly titled “Texas Son,” at the historic Sinclair Gas Station at 3725 McCart Avenue in the Rosemont neighborhood of town.
So far, Bridges is using the working title #LB4, as the name of his new release, leaving many fans wondering if his latest offering will be titled Leon Bridges 4. And for anyone who’s been following Bridges career, this would seem to make sense given he has already released three full-length albums, “Coming Home,” “Good Thing,” and “Gold-Diggers Sound.”
This is the latest Bridges news, which comes after he made headlines for showing up to the Met Gala for his black double belted suit adorned with real sewn-on bluebonnets from the Lone Star State. Bridges, still repping Fort Worth, wore this outfit as an homage to the history of the Black cowboy.
Still wearing his stylish Cowtown persona like an essential accent piece, Bridges gives shoutouts to Fort Worth in his latest Instagram video.
“On Rosedale my father said go straight home or I’d catch hell,” he sings. This track has that tinge of soul that Bridges’ is known for with just enough laid-back guitar to make it sound — dare we say it — Country?
Whatever you want to call it, Bridges’ fans and peers are cheering this hometown artist’s latest work on. Another local Fort Worth-based artist, Abraham Alexander, who appears alongside Bridges in the video, wrote, “Your best album by a mile.”
