Fort Worth singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, pictured in 2026. His new album, Happiness Anytime, is produced by Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto of the British band Jungle.
Joshua Kissi
Musicians love to throw out thank-yous from the stage — to opening acts, sound mixers, whoever brought tequila to the dressing room, you name it.
Leon Bridges went one better. He put all that gratitude into a song.
In the new tune “Tears of Joy,” the Fort Worth artist looks back in awe at his charmed life since 2015 and envisions “10 more years of glory.”
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“I’ve been doing this for a little bit over a decade, and it’s been an out-of-body experience,” he says. “It’s surreal just thinking about all the amazing milestones I hit, all the music I got to make. [In the song] I’m just thinking about my decision, really early on in my life, to make music that’s uplifting to people.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better description of Happiness Anytime, Bridges’ fifth album, recorded in Los Angeles and due Sept. 25. Bridges — a habitual collaborator — teamed up with Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto of the British band Jungle for a joyride through Afro-pop, dub reggae, soul and R&B. Since July, he’s already released eight of the songs on two EPs.
I spoke with the 37-year-old singer by phone from Fort Worth, where he was “just staying in recluse mode, kicking it at the crib, trying to recharge after this summer’s travels.” Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
How’d you meet the members of Jungle?
We’ve crossed paths a few times, like at a festival in Copenhagen. I always just loved their dance-y vibe, and I felt they were ideal collaborators. It was the most freeing experience of creating music. We built everything on drum loops and we’d just pass the guitar around until we landed on something cool. And Lydia, man, her vocals, in my opinion, really carry a lot of these songs.
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There’s a strong Afrobeat feel. … Several tunes reminded me of Fela Kuti. Where you a Fela fan beforehand?
I knew a few Fela tunes. But then I was at the GQ party at Chateau Marmont and heard “Expensive S—” by Fela, and it just sparked more ideas. What I do a lot is, when I hear instrumental stuff, I’ll start freestyling over it. That song … inspired songs like “Illusion” and the deeper, introspective vibe of the album.
That song and last year’s “Elegantly Wasted” (with Hermanos Gutiérrez) reminded me how hypnotic your music can be. Are you trying to put us all into a deep trance?
[Laughs.] That’s the beautiful thing about music. It’s a form of escapism. I wanna make music that feels infectious, and I’m so grateful to really have that divine inspiration with some of the melodies and vibes that I’ve put into music. There are so many great people before me that did that, people who inspired me, like Neil Young or Curtis Mayfield or Bobby Womack.
Leon Bridges’ Happiness Anytime drops Sept. 25, 2026, though several of the album’s tracks have already been released.
Columbia Records Group
“Watch You Dance” will get people moving and grooving. When did you first fall in love with dancing?
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I was 11 or 12. I saw this Michael Jackson anniversary performance on TV with Whitney Houston, Usher, so many greats. I recorded it on tape and everything, and I was literally practicing my moonwalk and my glide for a school dance. And when I was at [Tarrant County College], I was in a dance company called Velocity. I’m always dancing, man. I go out dancing a lot, even by myself. I love going dancing in Deep Ellum and finding a good vibe. I don’t really deem myself an amazing dancer. But I feel like I have my own style and expression.
“Illusion” seems to be about oppressors, especially the line “They got your money / Down on your knees.”
It’s about humanity, with lyrics that are almost stream-of-consciousness. I think the lesson is, like, “Don’t get too caught up in things that are fleeting in this world.” Everything around us is an illusion. Focus on what’s meaningful.
Are you good at that? Can you turn off the screens and find “happiness anytime,” as you put it?
I’m not perfect at anything, you know? But this whole album is about cultivating pockets of happiness and almost creating my own reality. It’s not [ignoring] issues of the world. Black people are no strangers to suffering and pain. But we’ve created the most beautiful art that’s come from our suffering. It’s just all about living in that perpetual state of joy. If there’s chaos around, you can’t freak out or lose your cool. You gotta stand firm-rooted. That’s kind of what the album is for me.
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“Fort Worth is forever gonna be home,” says singer-songwriter Leon Bridges.
Joshua Kissi
In 2021, you talked with me about being introverted and said “I don’t see myself being the frontman in the future.” Has your perspective changed?
I’m always gonna make music. But yeah, my next goal is to just help aspiring artists, locally and everywhere. I cross paths with so many super-talented artists who don’t have the resources. I actually had this thought to put together a crew of house musicians, almost like a Muscle Shoals vibe. Whoever wants to make cool stuff, let’s do it.
Related: Leon Bridges reckons with stardom and finds his way home on new album
But you also keep headlining bigger stages, like the Hollywood Bowl and Austin City Limits Music Festival. Are you getting more comfortable with the spotlight?
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Yeah. I think my way of coping with that is just turning off that fear. It’s almost like when I’m on a stage, it’s tapping into a persona. You try to be charismatic and dance and give people a good show. And thankfully, it doesn’t wear me down too much. I feel like I’m definitely in a better place now of just coming to grips with the reality of being a frontman.
In the last year, Fort Worth honored you with street signs and featured you in a hometown tourism video. You’re almost like the city’s official ambassador.
Man, you know, Fort Worth is forever gonna be home. When everything slows down, I’m gonna try to get started on [building a house on a plot of land he owns]. I love that the people here are honest and kind. Fort Worth is always going to be my place of refuge, my place where I can come back and just be close to people who love me for me.