John Legend

The singer on his new album of love songs, the Black Lives Matter movement, and why he’s hopeful for the future

- BRIAN HIATT

John Legend’s new album, Bigger Love, is a lush, seductive, often-danceable collection of grownup love songs, with sweet retro-R&B production touches on nearly every track. There are striking departures, too, like the Coldplay-meets–Kings of Leon power ballad “Wild” (with guitar from Gary Clark Jr.) and the trap/doo-wop hybrid of “Ooh Laa.” In all, it would’ve been a perfect balm for a nation in social isolation; as it happens, Legend ended up releasing it in the midst of worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. “Albums take a while to make,” he says, “and there’s still quite a distance between writing it and putting it out. So you can’t ever be sure exactly what environment you’re going to be releasing it into. But here we are. We’re at this moment.”

This album does touch on politics. “Never Break” could be about a relationship or something broader, right?

Yeah, it was always meant to feel like both. It could be about a couple saying they’re gonna stick together through tough times. But I think it’s more about human resilience. One of my team members feels it’s an ode to our democracy, saying we can get through even these challenges.

If it is about our democracy, are you sure we’ll never break?

I’m not! I’m an optimist by nature, but I think if Trump gets re-elected we won’t have democracy as we know it. He’s already pretty much thrown off all the guardrails.