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‘I’m by disposition optimistic’: How John Legend has stayed upbeat through the dark times – The Arizona Republic

John Legend felt the world could use a little pick-me-up when he released his seventh album, “Bigger Love,” on June 11, 2020, as protests filled the streets in response to the murder of another Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of the police in the midst of a global pandemic.

And as luck would have it, he’d already written and recorded “Bigger Love” before the age of fear and isolation ushered in by COVID-19. All he had to do at that point was release it.

Not that releasing an album of uplifting music represents some sort of unanticipated left turn for the Grammy-winning singer who comes to Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix on Saturday, Sept. 25.

“Well, you know, my first album was called ‘Get Lifted,'” he says, with a laugh.

“My production company is called Get Lifted. So I definitely think there’s a lot of that in my approach to music. I want people to feel uplifted when they come to my show, to feel a sense of connection. Music can bring us together in some crazy times.”

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Legend says he is optimistic by nature

That sort of positive energy comes pretty naturally to Legend.

“I think I’m by disposition optimistic,” Legend says.

“But I also try to focus on where there are wins, you know? Sometimes it’s on a personal level, but even when I think about working for a more just world, more equality, more opportunity, my team and I focus on a lot of local issues and a lot of elections across the states and local communities.”

It’s not that Legend doesn’t see the setbacks on the path to progress.

“I see some of these voting laws as setbacks,” he says. “But even when you see that, you can still look at the times when we’ve been able to triumph over some of these challenges and be buoyed by that.”

In March, the singer picked up his 11th Grammy — Best R&B Album for “Bigger Love.”

He’s also one of only 16 people to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.

But it still feels like an honor every time.

“Honestly, I don’t take it for granted ever,” Legend says. “I know what it’s like to vote for these things. I know what the voting body looks like. And to know that so many of my peers voted for me, it means a lot to me still.”

Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, is an inspiration for his music

A lot of the subject matter on “Bigger Love” was inspired by Legend’s relationship with his wife, Chrissy Teigen, while the music finds him drawing on the heroes that have shaped his sound from the beginning and “been a part of my life for 40 years now.”

He mentions Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield and Nina Simone.

“They always inspire me musically,” Legend says.

“I’m also just inspired by working with other people, the collaborations. So many impressive people that I was able to collaborate with on this album and then on the next one and on the previous albums. They fuel me and inspire me.”

That next album Legend mentioned doesn’t have a title yet.

“But it’ll come next year,” he says. “I had all this free time during the pandemic when we couldn’t tour. So I have a lot of songs I’ve written over the last eight months or so.”

This next one may be less uplifting.

Difficult times will have an influence on Legend’s next album

“We’ve had some grief over the past year,” Legend says. 

“We’ve had some loss and some difficult times as a family. And of course the world has too. Some of the songs are responding to that grief and trying to find comfort and solace when you’re going through a tough time. We lost a baby. We lost people to COVID.”

A lot of people have gone through tough times over the past 18 months, Legend says.

“And so some of the songs are about trying to find a silver lining through mourning and grief.”

Asked if the writing helped him through those tough times, Legend doesn’t hesitate before responding, “Absolutely.”

Getting back out on the road has been an uplifting experience.

“The crowds are so excited and full of good energy,” Legend says. “I missed it.”

He’s been opening shows of this tour with the doo-wop-flavored, Flamingos-referencing “Ooh Laa,” the opening track on “Bigger Love.”

“It just sets the tone,” he says. “It feels good. It’s always been one of my favorite songs on the album. So I love opening the album and the show with it.”

He was “super-excited” when he wrote the song.

“I don’t know; there was something about it,” he says. “The bringing together of the old school and the new school just felt like the right kind of signature for what the album was gonna sound like.”

The rest of the set is a mix of songs from “Bigger Love” and the staples any Legend fan would go into a show expecting.

Legend talks about serving as a coach on ‘The Voice’

Part of putting a tour together “is just the right energy and the right flow but also knowing what songs our fans love,” Legend says. 

It’s easier to know which songs your fans are into now with streaming. Back in the day, it was harder to really know which songs were in heavy rotation.

“People would buy a CD and you didn’t know which songs they were playing the most,” Legend says.

“With streaming, we’re able to know very specifically what songs they listen to the most and which ones they gravitate toward. So that’s a little bit helpful, knowing which ones the fans love the most.”

In addition to touring, Legend is back in his role as a coach on “The Voice,” a show he joined in 2019. 

“It’s really inspiring,” Legend says of the experience.

“I love working with young talent. I remember what it was like to be them. So seeing their journey and being a part of that journey, helping them figure out who they are and what they want to do, how to best effectuate that, it’s a really cool opportunity.”

He’s also enjoying the opportunity to look at the business from the A&R side rather than focusing on his own music.

“You’re helping them choose songs, helping them best appeal to the audience,” he says.

“It’s a different kind of way of looking at the business, because you’re outside of yourself a little more. And I think it’s helpful to have that lens and apply it back to my own career sometimes, too. I think it makes me a little bit better at thinking the A&R side of things.”

If you’re wondering whether Legend would’ve done “The Voice” when he was young, there’s no question. He’d have done it in a heartbeat.

“I wanted to be on ‘Star Search’ so badly when I was a kid,” he recalls, with a laugh.

“I would watch Ed McMahon,” he says. “And I was like, ‘I could be on there; I could sing on there.'”

He even won a local Star Search competition.

“They sent my tape off to ‘Star Search.’ I didn’t get chosen. But yeah, I was into it. I wanted to get discovered any way I could.”

John Legend

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25.

Where: Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix.

Admission: $61.50 and up.

Details: ticketmaster.com.

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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