Latest Release
- AUG 30, 2024
- 15 Songs
- ye · 2018
- Love in the Future (Expanded Edition) · 2013
- Title (Deluxe Edition) · 2015
- In The Lonely Hour (10th Anniversary Edition / Deluxe) · 2013
- Evolver · 2008
- Get Lifted · 2004
- A Legendary Christmas: Deluxe Edition · 2018
- Think Like a Man (Music from & Inspired By the Film) · 2012
- Love in the Future (Expanded Edition) · 2013
Essential Albums
- Already a studio session vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter for high-profile artists (Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson), John Legend, né John Stephens, had worked out a large chunk of the musical puzzle for himself before his studio debut, Get Lifted, appeared. Following a brief stint working at a management consulting firm after college, the Ohio native joined Common as one of the very first artists signed to G.O.O.D. Music, the then-fledgling imprint of Kanye West—whose cousin (“Diamonds Are Forever” producer Devo Springsteen) was Legend’s roommate at the University of Pennsylvania. Pulling both hip-hop-centered beats and Legend’s piano to the foreground, Get Lifted benefits from strong vocal arrangements (Legend was a former church choir director), reimagined classic soul samples (The Staple Singers’ “Let’s Do It Again” on “Number One,” Sly & The Family Stone’s “Just Like a Baby” on “She Don’t Have to Know”), and a canny mix of guests (Snoop Dogg, West, Hill) that never steals focus from the star. Standout hit “Ordinary People” features him alone at a piano counting the ways partners disappoint each other, but he uncovers new reasons to be hopeful in the end, singing, “This time we’ll take it slow.” The song’s sparse, crooner-esque voice-and-piano arrangement and romantic subject matter presaged "All of Me," the biggest hit of Legend’s career, released nine years later.
- 2020
Artist Playlists
- Modern soul's piano man.
- The R&B great likes it best when he shares the spotlight.
- The soul student's curiosity shines through in collaborations.
- The soul-soaked pop singers who look up to the Legend.
- "We're just hoping everybody stays safe and stays healthy."
- The soul legends and R&B innovators who fuel the thoughtful star.
Live Albums
More To Hear
- Five years ago today, Los Angeles lost a hometown hero.
- The multi-platinum, award-winning artist talks 'Legend.'
- The multi-platinum, award-winning artist talks 'Legend.'
- The artist on "Dope (feat. JID)."
- The R&B superstar gives us his selections.
- John Legend takes on Selections.
- The soulful crooner talks to Ebro about his album Bigger Love.
More To See
About John Legend
Magnetic, passionate, and disarmingly suave, John Legend’s music is a reflection of the artist himself, whose radiant charisma has lit up the ’00s entertainment landscape. Legend is the first African-American EGOT winner, netting an Emmy, GRAMMYⓇ, Oscar, and Tony award. These accolades are driven by Legend’s towering talent, heard in his fluent command of vintage gospel and R&B, which he weaves into candlelit piano ballads and socially conscious soul burners. Born John Roger Stephens in 1978, he was only six when he started singing in his Springfield, OH church. When he left home to attend UPenn at 16, he became immersed in the humming Philadelphia neo-soul scene that revolved around influential hip-hop band The Roots. One invitation to play piano on Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything” turned into others from hip-hop and R&B artists including Talib Kweli, Mary J. Blige, and JAY Z. A connection with then-up-and-coming producer Kanye West led to Legend’s 2004 debut, Get Lifted, which introduced his sandy croon as one of R&B’s most promising new voices. He delivered on that promise with an ever-expansive range and emotional gravitas through the ‘00s and ‘10s: his fiery, socially conscious 2010 collaboration with The Roots, Wake Up!; his swooning 2013 ballad "All of Me"; his smoldering 2016 release, Darkness and Light. During all this, Legend’s side gigs were just as impressive, including a coaching spot on The Voice and an Emmy-winning performance in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Striking that balance—dapper reality-show singer, first-call hip-hop collaborator, dreamy R&B solo artist, artistic social activist—has made Legend worthy of his stage name.
- HOMETOWN
- Springfield, OH, United States
- BORN
- December 28, 1978
- GENRE
- R&B/Soul