Grammy Award-winning artist Leon Bridges teamed up with Terrace Martin for “Sweeter.” The track originally was meant for an upcoming album, but both artists felt the urge to release it now with all that is happening in the country and around the world. According to the announcement, the song is written from the perspective of a black man who is taking his last breath, feeling his spirit leave his body.
I have been numb for too long, calloused when it came to the issues of police brutality. The death of George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was the first time I wept for a man I never met. I am George Floyd, my brothers are George Floyd, and my sisters are George Floyd. I cannot and will not be silent any longer. Just as Abel’s blood was crying out to God, George Floyd is crying out to me. So, I present to you Sweeter.
“Sweeter” takes us through the internal thoughts and story of this black man, something that will stick with you after you listen. The lyrics reference Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movements he led, which seem to be repeating themselves now: “I thought we moved on from the darker days. / Did the words of the King disappear in the air, / Like a butterfly? / Somebody should hand you a felony. / Because you stole from me, / My chance to be.” Bridges and Terrace gave us the song we need right now, something that won’t distract us from what is happening, but something to focus and reflect on.
Listen to “Sweeter,” out now.
