Singer Leon John shifts to an uplifting sound with new single 'In the Morning'
The singer-songwriter, known for his sad and emotional music, wants to bring more positivity into his work.
Picture: Facebook/@Leon John
CapeTalk's Sara-Jayne Makwala King spoke to singer-songwriter Leon John.
Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.
Leon John is a thoughtful artist known for his emotional and sometimes sad music.
Recently, he decided to shift his focus toward a more uplifting sound with his new single, "In the Morning."
This song takes inspiration from a Bible verse.
"In the Morning was actually inspired by a Bible verse, Psalm 30 verse 5, that reads 'weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning'. I am not religious by any stretch of the imagination, but I think sometimes you find inspiration in various kinds of texts including, but not limited to, the bible and that was really my inspiration and just trying to find hope and trying to be positive as opposed to melancholic which is my usual daily work but this time around I thought let me think positive and let me write positively maybe the things that I write that are positive will become true as opposed to the melancholic things that started to feel a little like I was kind of condemning myself..."
- Leon John, singer-songwriter
This new single follows his 2022 album “License to Feel,” where he delved into themes like family struggles, healing, and love.
The singer-songwriter describes his music style as “genre-fluid".
"I grew up with quite an eclectic taste...my dad was a very big African music fan...on the other end of the spectrum, my mother was a very big pop fan...As I grew up, I discovered my own taste..."
- Leon John, singer-songwriter
"...The older I get, I've figured that I'm veering closer and closer to the music I am going to make for the rest of my life, which I identify as adult contemporary music and that's more around the themes I discuss...I gravitate towards the maturity of adult contemporary pop specifically..."
- Leon John, singer-songwriter
The 30-year-old describes himself as a citizen of the world.
His mother is a South African educator, and his father is a Zimbabwean diplomat.
Leon John spent his formative years overseas, mainly in Egypt.
He says his travels allowed him to be exposed to a breadth of cultural diversity.
Scroll up to listen to the full conversation