Ahead of hitting the stage for his Vegas residency, John Legend zoomed in to chat with Audacy’s Deborah Howell all about it, his new music, and more.
LISTEN NOW: John Legend on his Vegas residency, new music, and more!
Showing out at the Planet Hollywood Zappos Theater, Love in Las Vegas, which is the show's name by the way, is by far the “favorite show I’ve ever put together, my team and I worked really hard on it,” John said. "It’s about really celebrating my entire journey as an artist.”
If you’re looking for a “good time” and “haven’t seen the show yet,” John assures you still have a few more chances to do so. But from us to you, you definitely want to get on it.
For the show, John revealed that “some stuff” from his brand new album made the cut, but “it’s really about the entire repertoire, so we’re doing stuff from Get Lifted all the way through to LEGEND.”
When talking about the show, that sees the audience laugh, cry, dance, sing along and more, John expressed, “It’s really a fully emotional and inspiring experience for people, and so they feel all the feels.”
After once again talking about how this album differs from the rest and why it was truly time for him to title it with his moniker, John shed light on his creative process, and how he continues to achieve new amazing songs. Diving into whether it’s the lyrics, chord structure, or melody that comes first.
“It’s usually the music that comes first, the chords, the melody, I do a thing called a mumble track, where I just hum things and don’t make sense. So that melody is what usually guides me into the feeling that I want to evoke with the lyrics.” A process that at one point John even taught a Master Class on.
Also chatting about John’s label mate, Stevie Wonder, and what he’s brought to the table over the years, John gushed saying, “He’s truly one of the greatest artists in the history of human kind. I think there’s an argument to be made he’s one of the greatest solo artists in popular music history,” among being “a wonderful human being.”
Citing him as a “friend” and “a hero of mine,” John continued, explaining that Wonder has not only “strove to make to make not only great music, but to make the world better place."
John and Deborah continued chatting about all things, including his collaborations with Muni Long and Ledisi, as well as different projects he’s got coming up, including a documentary about Reverend Al Sharpton. Then he also answered what his last meal on earth would be, and what is the most beautiful place he’s every visited, among other things. All before serenading us with The Wave Jingle, and signing off with gratitude and love to everyone “who’s supported me all these years.”
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