Leon Bridges’ first strides as an R&B artist prompted comparisons to legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, but the native Texan quickly came into his own with the remarkably refined Top Ten albums Coming Home (2015) and Good Thing (2018), the former of which led to a pair of Grammy nominations. Bridges expanded his audience with featured appearances on songs by artists ranging from the similarly tradition-rooted likes of Nick Waterhouse, Kacey Musgraves, and Gary Clark, Jr. to rappers Macklemore and Lecrae and production duo ODESZA. These collaborations, along with the broader stylistic scope of the second full-length, demonstrated that the singer, songwriter, and guitarist was no mere throwback stylist. During 2016 and 2017, Bridges was active as he co-wrote and was featured on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Kevin,” Nick Waterhouse’s “Katchi,” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Present Without a Bow.” Additionally, he recorded “On My Own” with Lecrae and connected twice with Gary Clark, Jr., as heard on Live North America 2016, and on a collaborative cover of Neil Young’s “Ohio.” Work with Aminé and ODESZA was also out by the end of 2017. Early the following year, Coming Home was certified gold by the RIAA. Shortly thereafter, Bridges released “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” and “Bad Bad News,” and then “Beyond,” as the first three songs off his comparatively contemporary and stylistically broader second album, Good Thing, which followed that May and hit the Top Ten.
