Watch Leon Bridges’ Soulful Performance of “Beyond” on _The Late Show_
Leon Bridges released his very good sophomore studio album, Good Thing, one week ago today, and last night the R&B crooner stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in support of the effort to perform a standout track from the LP, “Beyond.”
Bridges, as he is wont to do, absolutely nails the uber-soulful vocals and remains the consummate throwback frontman, singing about a romantic and physical relationship in the classiest way possible. The singer also happens to grace the cover of the current April/May issue of Relix, in which he discusses writing “Beyond” and its Van Morrison influences:
“When I approach a song like that, I never try to approach it in a linear way,” Bridges observes. “I try to do something fresh and new over it. So you hear an acoustic guitar that has a Van Morrison kind of vibe, but the way I’m singing over it, you hear a freaking Ginuwine melody—straight R&B. I love incorporating stuff like that, just to make it as fresh as I can. And it’s the same with the words. It’s about respecting the woman I’m singing about, beyond just objectifying her. I’m the kind of person who moves fast. I’m not some hopeless romantic, but when the time for love is ready, that’s when I will be. It’s always fun to make love, but I also have to dig you as a person. That’s what ‘Beyond’ is about, and really that was the whole point of this album. I wanted to create this kind of direct poetry within a song. I didn’t want to make something that people felt like they can’t connect with, you know?”
Watch Bridges’ Late Show, and read the full April/May Relix cover story here.