CLEVELAND, Ohio - It’s hard keeping up with all the good things John Legend has done, or that have happened to him, during the 17 years since his debut album.
Suffice to say that the Springfield, Ohio native’s status as the youngest-ever and first African-American EGOT -- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winner -- indicates just how much he’s established during that time as a performer, producer, songwriter, actor, media mogul...the list goes on. He also has a Golden Globe and the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Legend (nee Stephens) is, of course, the “nice” judge on NBC’s “The Voice.”
His seventh and latest studio album, “Bigger Love,” came out during June of 2020, debuting at No. 19 on the Billboard Top 200, but Legend has only recently gotten a chance to get out on the road to promote. He tells us by phone that it’s been a joy to return to the stage, and everyone will get a chance to see the show with his “Bigger Love Global Experience” livestream on Sunday, Oct. 24...
You had to delay your tour for “Bigger Love” because of the pandemic. How does it feel to be back on stage again?
Legend: It’s so fun. The audiences have been so fun and energetic and connected, and I’m loving it. I’m so used to going out and touring right after you release (an album), so that holding pattern was a strange phenomenon I’ve never felt before. But it’s been so fun bringing the songs to life with the band and connecting them with an audience.
Are you practicing “safe touring?”
Legend: The entire band and crew are vaccinated. We’re tested every couple of days. We suggest everybody, particularly at the indoor shows, wears a mask, and we strongly encourage them to become vaccinated. We’re encouraging everybody to take precautions and be as safe as possible to be together. We kind of do a modified version of Meet & Greets where there’s Plexiglas between us, so I’m not breathing everyone’s air all together. We have to be careful. It can’t be as free as we used to be.
You wrote and recorded these songs before the pandemic, and before the George Floyd murder and everything that came in its wake. Do you feel like they’ve taken on a different kind of resonance with everything that’s transpired?
Legend: I think so, yeah. Some of the songs, like “Never Break” (from the documentary “Giving Voice”), which is a song about resilience and being able to survive the tough times...mean even more now. I wasn’t planning to put it on this album, but right as we were getting close to finishing the album the pandemic started, and it just felt right. We needed that song. And “Bigger Love” is about love that’s resilient and powerful and helpful when you’re going through time times. I feel like those sentiments really make sense right now.
You’re big on collaborating, and you have some interesting ones on this album -- Gary Clark Jr., Anderson.Paak, Jhene Aiko, Koffee, Charlie Puth, Raphael Saadiq and others. What’s the allure of that for you?
Legend: I love collaborating. I love co-writing. I love being in a room with other people and seeing what kind of interesting chemistry comes from it. We write way more than what we’re gonna use. So, it’s good to do it and try different ideas and different combinations of people in the room and see what comes out of it.
Are you starting to eyeball what’s next in terms of an album or other recording project?
Legend: I was just in the studio last night working on it. We have lots of new music. I don’t like to preview it too much; We do one (new) song in the show. It ends up kind of evolving on its own. I have some ideas. I want to get into the studio with this person or try this idea. Inevitably it’s a discovery process. I surprise myself with what we come up with.
You’re also part of the upcoming “A Sentimental Christmas with Nat King Cole and Friends: The Cole Classics Reimagined” (out Oct. 29). In fact, you sing “with” him on the first single, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on An Open Fire).” How was that?
Legend: That was cool. I’m such a huge fan of Nat “King” Cole, forever. His estate and his record label wanted to bring back some of his classics and pair him with some different artists who look up with him. It’s full circle ‘cause I used to sing Nat “King” Cole songs in talent shows when I was a kid. I love that song, and it was a pleasure to do it. I was singing right along with his recording, so I tried to feel his presence.
How’s this season of “The Voice” going for you?
Legend: Oh, we’re loving it. Ariana (Grande) is such a great addition to the show. We’re having a lot of fun together.
It seems to have gotten a little sassier.
Legend: Oh yeah, between (Grande) and Kelly. And Kelly and Blake, they continue to “feud,” as they always have. I’m usually, like, the middle child -- the mediator, the peacemaker.
You came on just as Adam Levine was leaving as a judge. It seems like the show hasn’t missed a beat without him.
Legend: I only had one season with him, so I didn’t have a lot of experience of doing the show with him. Adam and I have been friends for a long time. He was such a foundational part of the show, so it’s weird for him not to be there. But every new coach brings different energy, different chemistry. It’s always fun to see how it plays out when a new personality comes on the show.
You were one of very few who were willing to speak out about the allegations against R. Kelly, especially in the “Surviving R. Kelly” Lifetime documentary. How you feel about his recent conviction for those crimes?
Legend: I really always believed these women. I always thought that they should have their stories told and be heard, and (director-executive producer) Dream Hampton did a wonderful job of giving them the platform to tell their own story. I got some (heat) from some people. I understand them being fans of him, and we’ve all loved his music for a long time. But the bottom line is these women have some pretty harrowing stories about what they went through, so I didn’t mind speaking out for them.
John Legend’s “Bigger Love Global Experience” begins streaming at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24. Tickets via mandolin.com.
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