MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: The smooth voice of Leon Bridges has been a constant over the last 10 years. But everything else around him keeps changing, from his debut as a retro soul singer...
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SMOOTH SAILIN'")
LEON BRIDGES: (Singing) She's smooth, smooth sailing.
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing) Smooth sailing.
MARTIN: ...To the shimmering psychedelia of his later work.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TEXAS SUN")
BRIDGES: (Singing) Texas sun.
MARTIN: Throughout the years, he could be seen strumming an acoustic guitar. But for his latest album, "Happiness Anytime," Leon Bridges is putting his guitar down so he can dance.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LIGHT THE WAY")
BRIDGES: (Singing) You can light the way. Come on.
Hopefully, people will be inspired to get their own little groove on.
MARTIN: That's Leon Bridges. He actually got his start in dance, studying it in college before dropping out to help support his mother.
BRIDGES: When I was younger, I used to try to emulate Usher and Ginuwine and also loved Michael Jackson. And my brother - he was telling me about these guys. They were from the hood, but they were, like, taking ballet and modern dance. And I saw an opportunity to really find that versatility, like, within my dance style through that. But that was, like - my first time ever being on a stage was through dance.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ILLUSION")
BRIDGES: (Singing) Hands high. Can't stop me living.
MARTIN: Obviously, you're famous for your, you know, retro soul sound. But the grooves on this album - you know, we can hear Afrobeat. We can hear Brazilian music and disco. Where did those ideas come from?
BRIDGES: Yeah. I'm so grateful to be able to travel and really experience different cultures. And I had a moment in 2018 where Harry Styles - he brought me on the road. And we went to South America. You know, I was able to go to these, like, late-night dance parties. And just seeing that collective joy and just energy, like, really played into this album. But, you know, it's awesome how, like, you know, we soak up so much inspiration, and those things just kind of bleed out into the music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ILLUSION")
BRIDGES: (Singing) They got your money, down on your knees. They got your warning, begging, please.
MARTIN: You know, I was thinking about change because one of the things that I've noticed about your work is that you like to keep growing. But one of the things that I have noticed is that if an artist doesn't evolve, the critics are on him, like, or her, right? Oh, you know, it's the same. It just sounds all the same. But if an artist evolves, a lot of times the fans are on him, right?
(LAUGHTER)
MARTIN: Because the fans are like, but I like the old stuff.
BRIDGES: Right.
MARTIN: When are you going to do that? And I just wondered if you thought about that when you were making this album.
BRIDGES: Yeah. You know, throughout my career, I've always just tried to keep people guessing. And it's good to reinvent. You know, with my first album, I was put into a box, and I wanted more for myself. And, you know, I wanted to show people, like, I love soul music, but also, here's the '90s influence. Here's some of the Sade influence that my mother would have played.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT")
BRIDGES: (Singing) All day and all night.
And that's what was beautiful about this album. Like, you know, we didn't know what we wanted to make going into it. But, you know, it was all about cultivating a new sound.
MARTIN: Is there any song on this album that represents a particular victory for you, and letting you know that you're moving in the direction you want to be going?
BRIDGES: Yes. "Tears Of Joy" is a tune that I really love so much.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TEARS OF JOY")
BRIDGES: (Singing) Oh, I hear that voice, and it's talking back at me. Ten more years of glory. These are our tears of joy.
UNIDENTIFIED ENSEMBLE: (Singing) Oh, don't worry.
BRIDGES: Just reflecting on - this life that I'm living is truly beautiful. And so grateful to have longevity and community and still be making music, you know, and doing what I love.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TEARS OF JOY")
BRIDGES: (Singing) Give me hope. I'll make you proud. All I know is I miss you.
MARTIN: That is Leon Bridges. His new album is called "Happiness Anytime." Leon Bridges, thank you so much for...
BRIDGES: Thank you.
MARTIN: ...Bringing us happiness anytime.
BRIDGES: Thank you for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TEARS OF JOY")
BRIDGES: (Singing) Oh, don't worry. Oh, don't worry. Oh, don't worry. Oh, don't worry. These tears... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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