Texas-born artist Leon Bridges has spent a decade evolving away from the very sound that made him famous, and this November, South African audiences will finally get to hear where that evolution has taken him.
The Grammy Award winning singer will perform two shows, Marks Park in Emmarentia, Johannesburg on Saturday November 28, and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town on Monday November 30, presented by BreakOut Events.
“I’ve wanted to play South Africa for a long time, and I’m really excited to finally make it there, especially with this album, for these two special shows. I can’t wait to share the music with everyone,” Bridges said.
The “Can’t Have It All” singer first broke through with “Coming Home”, combining classic R&B with a fresh yet familiar style.
Songs like “River”, the title track, “Smooth Sailin’” and “Better Man” built his early signature sound, and the album earned him his first Grammy nomination, establishing him early as one of the defining R&B voices of his generation.
His actual Grammy win came two albums later, when “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand”, from “Good Thing”, won “Best Traditional R&B Performance” at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
“Good Thing” pulled in funk, jazz and more contemporary production without losing the vocal performances that had made his name.
Then came “Gold-Diggers Sound” in 2021, described as a denser, more atmospheric record blending R&B with jazz and alternative textures, anchored by tracks including “Motorbike”, “Sweeter” and “Why Don't You Touch Me”, and met with further critical acclaim.
His 2024 self-titled album, “Leon”, pulled the thread further still, drawing more directly on his Texas roots and personal experience.
His full upcoming 12-track fifth studio album “Happiness Anytime”, due for release on September 25 continues that pattern of Bridges refusing to simply repeat what worked before.
Bridges is said to have spent time previewing the record with a run of last minute pop-up shows in Paris, Cannes, Los Angeles, at the Montreux Jazz Festival and at London’s Jazz Café.
“For me, happiness is not a feeling that you chase. I want this album to be something that lingers with people and lingers in people’s bones.
“There’s this feeling that we have to fix the problems of the world, you feel inadequate or it can be debilitating. My role is to be light. I hope that comes across with this album,” he said.
The album reportedly sees Bridges return to the warmth of “Coming Home” while pulling in the groove and looser spirit of his collaborations with Khruangbin, alongside his work with Jungle, whose sensibility intertwines with his own to push the sound into new territory.
Traces of Fela Kuti, the wanderlust of Paul Simon’s “The Rhythm of the Saints” and the warmth of Jorge Ben are said to run through it, though the record never leans on those influences directly, filtered instead through Bridges’ own voice, charisma and melodic instinct.
The 12-track album is being released in three stages, with the first four song batch, “Light The Way”, “Tears of Joy”, “Illusion” and “Your Love Is Electric”, already out now.
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