Leon Bridges, Sweeter | Track Review 🎵

Leon Bridges brilliantly captures his thoughts about race and racial injustice through the beautiful single, “Sweeter,” featuring Terrace Martin.

Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter Leon Bridges is best known for his brand of throwback soul.  Over the course of two albums, Bridges has shown he has immense talent, particularly his 2018 sophomore album, Good Thing.  He returns in 2020 with the song “Sweeter,” which could’ve easily earned a spot on 13 Powerful Songs Where Black Lives DO Indeed Matter.  Like so many of his contemporaries, Bridges takes the opportunity to captures his thoughts about race and racial injustice through music.  He does so brilliantly on “Sweeter,” featuring Terrace Martin.

“Sweeter” features a nice blend of old- and new- school R&B.  Bridges clearly has one foot in the door of the past, yet at the same time, the record is slightly more modern than what’s appeared on his albums.  Ricky Reed and Nate Mercereau do a marvelous job behind the boards, helping to mold this ‘sweet’ sound.  Though the sounds are indeed sweet, Bridges’ vocal performance, and the lyrics he conveys are the centerpiece.  From the start of this somewhat nontraditional number, you feel the weight:

“Hoping for a life more sweeter
Instead I’m just a story repeating
Why do I fear with skin dark as night?
Can’t feel peace with those judging eyes.”

Yeah, the lyrics honestly speak for themselves.  Leon goes on to say that he “Thought we moved on from dark days,” basically expressing his disappointment over the racial injustices in 2020 without explicitly saying so.  One of the most moving passages:

“The tears of my mother rain, rain over over me
My sisters and my brothers sing, sing over me
And I wish I had another day, but it’s just another day.”

Final Thoughts

What really stands out about “Sweeter” is how Leon Bridges, Terrace Martin, and the songwriters and musicians poetically approach things.  “Sweeter” is a beautiful song, but it’s a beautiful song with no shortage of emotion and pain.  All in all, it’s another excellent addition to the growing list of songs that speak out against racial inequality and injustice.

Leon Bridges • “Sweeter” (Ft. Terrace Martin) • Columbia • Release: 6.8.20

Photo Credit: Columbia