John Legend: Sexy & mushy this time

Robert Plant put it so well in his acceptance speech at the recent Grammy Awards. “In the old days, this would be called selling out.” He was referring to those times when an artist would step out of his comfort zone to do something different and would be considered commercial.

In his case it was last year’s hit album Raising Sand where he did soul and country classics with Bluegrass queen Alison Kraus. The CD won them three Grammys, the prime prizes Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Collaboration. Although the band is now considered a legend, Plant never experienced something like that while he was rocking with Led Zeppelin.

I do not know if five-time Grammy winner John Legend had something like that in mind while he was working on his third CD release Evolver. But I can certainly say he made his latest album a very commercial exercise that toyed with various rhythms all of which were sleekly polished for pleasant listening.

Legend burst into the music scene seven years ago with Get Lifted. He was an instant R&B sensation with hits like Ordinary People, Used to Love You, It Don’t Have to Change, Number One and So High. He was on top once more two years later with his second CD Once Again. It was this one that brought about tunes like Where Did My Baby Go, Save Room, Heaven, PDA, Show Me and Each Day Gets Better.

Legend was actually born John Stephens. He changed his name to Legend when he joined the music business. Before that he was an English Major at the University of Pennsylvania and later a Management Consultant in New York City. His music at that time was limited to occasional gigs and the church choir on Sundays. But then he met hip-hop star Kanye West who gave him the big break and he is now on his way to becoming a true legend.

Though his output was certainly impressive, adored by the critics and rewarded with five Grammys, Legend, in his first two albums was one of those artists found difficult to listen to. Like Alicia Keys, I thought he was more concerned with showing off his vocal prowess, which is truly great, than with giving expression to whatever he was singing.

All I wanted to do while listening to early Legend was to lighten his load and get him to just enjoy his music. I felt something like that would happen if I strip his songs and his vocals of embellishments and lay bare the basic melodies. Check out what Freestyle did to his Half Crazy and you will know what I mean.

So you can just imagine how much fun I had with Evolver. Legend has evolved and the critics are not going to like the place to where he morphed. But it really feels good to hear him in a lighter mood. The guy has gone clubby or pop even. He is sexy and mushy and full of warmth. He is singing well but never as though his very life depended on it. And listen, after years with the piano, he now also makes clever use of the guitar.

Legend brings his Evolver World Tour to the Araneta Coliseum on March 26. Call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or Concertus 813-2617 for inquiries. It will be his first visit to the Philippines and I am sure that his fans are very excited. They will finally get to hear the songs that made him a star from Get Lifted and Once Again done live. All well and good. But what I would really love to hear live are what he has in Evolver.

 This Time with its beautiful pop melody tops my list. Other standouts are the collaborative efforts like the reggae tinged No Other Love with new R&B discovery Estelle, the upbeat first single release Green Light featuring Andre 3000, It’s Over feat. Kanye West and Quickly feat. Brandy.

Those of you who kept tabs on the US elections of 2008 will surely remember If You’re Out There, as the inspiring tune Legend performed at the Democratic National Convention in support of the future President Barack Obama. It would be interesting to see how local audiences will react to this one.