FEATURE:
Second Spin
John Legend - Love in the Future
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THERE are some artists…
that split people and it can be hard to find common ground. I think that John Legend is a fantastic Soul/R&B artist who has written some truly beautiful music. A certain camp feels his music is a little boring or formulaic. I have listened to most of his albums and one can definitely find gems in each. As a vocalist, Legend is superb and varied. I really like his 2013 album, Love in the Future. It received mostly positive reviews when it came out, thought there were a few that were mixed and dismissed the album (and Legend). I think this is an album that people should listen to as, whether you are a Legend fan or not, there is plenty to appreciate. I will bring in two contrasting reviews very soon. Before that, Wikipedia has an article/section where Legend discussed the making of the album:
“August 2013, during an interview with XXL, John Legend spoke about how long it took him to finish the album, saying:
"Well I did the Wake Up! album with The Roots in 2010, so it’s really only been three years in my mind, because I put as much energy and time into that as I would my own album. Then I did some shows with them and I toured with Sade, so I spent a decent amount of time on the road, and then I spent the past couple of years on the album. It took a little longer on this album than on previous albums, but I’m really just a year off my pace."
He also spoke about working with Kanye West on the album, saying: "I worked with Kanye more on this album than I had before, and I think part of it is just us connecting and getting together to create, given how busy he is and how busy I am. Just finding time for us to work together kind of added a little bit of extra time to the process. But I think it was worth it."[3] He also spoke about how he feels this is his best album yet, saying: "I feel like it’s my best album yet, and I think creatively, we did some great things. The collaboration and the talent that we have on the album is better than we’ve ever had. As far as producers, co-writers and people just helping shape the sound. I feel like Kanye’s leadership was great in helping to do that. I really feel good about it”.
I think two of the singles, Who Do We Think We Are and All of Me are two of John Legend’s best songs. At sixteen tracks and a variety of producer and writers, Love in the Future could have been a bit of a mess and lacking in consistency. As it is, there is a solidity to the album that means there are very few weak tracks.
Many met Love in the Future with praise and plenty of warmth. There were some who were a little less convinced about the album. One example of this is a review from Exclaim:
“Love in the Future? Speaking of which, any forthcoming John Legend documentary should be titled The Curious Case of John Stephens. For a musical prodigy that first burst out of the gate with a lively debut album (2004's Get Lifted), Legend has settled into a languid musical stride, one akin to a Las Vegas lounge singer. As one of the initial members of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, the vivacious soul spark initially exuded by the Ohio-born artist has withered into a commercially boring drone. While he never was a "hip-hop star," as some culturally lazy writers have tagged him, early Legend had some strut, some bite that promised a unique twist on contemporary soul and R&B. However, backed by mature production from West and Dave Tozer, singles like "Made to Love" and "All of Me" typify Legend's current commercially friendly, sentimental sound. A spritely track such as "Who Do We Think We Are?," featuring rapper Rick Ross, moseys along, lacking any resonance. Even a cover of Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes" feels mechanical, rather than a fresh take on a classic. "Tomorrow" and "Wanna Be Loved" are the most intriguing tracks, inducing a few head nods, but today's Legend is content to adopt a croonerific sound that doesn't challenge existing soul genre parameters in the least. That's fine, in theory, but rather yawn-worthy in execution. (Sony)”.
I have been listening to Love in the Future on and off since it was released. I feel it is one of Legend’s very best and most rewarding albums. I am glad that it got positive reviews, though I don’t think it mined enough in terms of radio play and awareness now. In their review, this is what AllMusic had to say:
“This is John Legend's first solo studio album since 2008's Evolver. Between the two releases, he recorded the Grammy-winning Wake Up! with the Roots, scored a gold single with "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" (from the Think Like a Man soundtrack), was featured on a couple albums' worth of songs by other artists, and somehow managed to be deeply involved in philanthropy. He also got engaged. Although he proposed to model Chrissy Teigen five years after meeting her, much of Love in the Future seems drawn from a romance that was quicker to bloom. "The Beginning…" sets a tone of urgency with a scene from the day after their first night spent together. Legend sings with certitude, "Pick some names, boy or girl/Then we'll change, change the world." That sense of blissful urgency -- of seizing the moment, getting lost, and knowing that the future is set -- is belied in the pacing. Even the album's standard 16-track edition meanders at a crawling pace. It's broken up by the occasional soaring arrangement or some hypnotically clanking/pinging percussion, as heard on highlight "Made to Love," which resembles a latter-day Moby collaboration with distant handclapping, spooky background vocals, and a sample from Lil Louis' noisy house classic "Video Clash." This is a heavy, laboriously made set of songs.
The list of producers alone includes Hit-Boy, Bink, 88 Keys, the Runners, Doc McKinney, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Kanye West, and Dave Tozer pile on as co-producers and co-executive producers. Perhaps they ensured that the whole album would have its dramatic, slightly eerie tone; even the covers of Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes" and Anita Baker's "Angel" are a little uneasy. That level of sonic indulgence seems like it should be incompatible with an artist who is, essentially, a piano man, but Love in the Future is among Legend's best work, made for couples who are into one another for the long term while feeling a little daring and crazy”.
Go and listen to Love in the Future if you have not done so already. It is a great album from an artist who, I feel, remains underrated. Legend’s 2020 album, Bigger Love, was met with mixed reviews. I think we will see many more albums from him. Looking at his catalogue, and there are some truly terrific albums to be discovered – Love in the Future among them. Take a moment to appreciate an album that was, by many, appreciated…though there were some that were…
A little less kind.