Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player who has been a traditionalist working in the R&B and soul genres. He was especially intense on the nostalgia in his first album, 2015's Coming Home that emulated the sound of a style that was popular in the '50s and '60s, a period that even his parents may have been too young to remember (see Coming Home and Better Man). Later, he shed some of these purist tendencies, and started to bring a relatively more contemporary touch to his music, especially in his arrangements and the way the melodies felt. He also opened up to more jazzy passages and accompaniment in his songs. His style update in his in-studio recordings has allowed him a broader recognition by the general audience, helping his appeal get beyond his initially more specific, traditionalist base.