John Legend is prepared to release his new album BIGGER LOVE next Friday, June 19, on Columbia Records Today, he has released the cover art and complete tracklist.
“I’m so excited to introduce my new album Bigger Love to the world,” Legend wrote on Instagram. “Here’s the album cover painted by brilliant artist Charly Palmer.
“This project has been a labor of love for me, something I’ve spent over a year conceiving and creating. I poured my heart and soul into these songs and collaborated with some incredibly gifted co-writers, producers and musicians.
“The songs are inspired by the loves of my life: my wife, my family and the rich tradition of black music that has made me the artist I am.”
John Legend spoke about the songs in a listening session, citing that the songs echo the richness of Black culture.
“All of these songs were created prior to the world being rocked by a pandemic, prior to the latest police killings in the U.S. that sent so many to the streets in protest,’ Legend writes. “During these painful times, some of us may wonder if it’s ok to laugh or dance or be romantic. Lately, the images of black people in the media have been showing us with knees on our necks, in mourning, or expressing our collective outrage. We feel all those emotions.
“But It’s important for us to continue to show the world the fullness of what it is to be black and human. Through our art, we are able to do that. This album is a celebration of love, joy, sensuality, hope, and resilience, the things that make our culture so beautiful and influential.”
During the session, Legend previewed singles from the album, which showcased his ability to stretch his talents through different styles. Of those styles is doo-wop, which Legend states is apart of his upbringing.
“I’ve been arranging vocals and harmonies since I was kid,” Legend said during the Zoom session. My cousins, my brothers and I had a group called the Stevens 5. My dad and his brother used to sing Duwop songs and I grew up around that, so it’s a part of me.”
The new album features Gary Clark Jr., Jhene Aiko, Koffee, Rapsody, and Camper. BIGGER LOVE is executive produced by Raphael Saadiq.
You can see the tracklist below.