Description: Anthony Hamilton may have the betFter voice. Ne-Yo might w rite better songs. However, when it comes to smooth, mature R&B, John Legend is the man to beat. The protégé of Kanye West, Legend has amassed strong sales and critical kudos for his first couple of albums, Get Lifted and Once Again. He’s become known as the R&B singer you can take home to mom, a piano man in the mold of Lionel Richie and Brian McKnight. However, he’s got a more pronounced hip-hop vibe and a wink-nudge, sly sexuality that‘s a refreshing change from the crass found in most R&B and hip-hop lyrics these days.Evolver, approached, the singer talked it up as a bit of a departure from the classy ballads he was known for. First single “Green Light” suggested a departure indeed. Spacey ’80s synths and a rap from the irrepressible Andre 3000 contributed to make this bouncy, danceable jam a hit. With Evolver finally in stores and online, two questions need to be asked. 1) Is the entire album a departure for John Legend, and 2) Can he make it work?The answer to the first question? Well, yes-the album is a departure if you compare it to the lounge-y Once Again. However, there was a strong hip-hop influence on Get Lifted, and Evolver is basically a better-produced, more eclectic version of his debut. It has a danceable, midtempo vibe that will appeal to the exact same people who already buy his music. So it’s not a departure in the sense of “John Legend Goes Gangsta”, but if all you know of Legend is his hit single “Ordinary People”, then you’ll be in for a bit of a start.Any great artist knows that in order to not shock their fans too much, they have to temper any “experimentation” with a little bit of what they do best and Evolver’s best songs are, you guessed it, the ballads. Two stick out immediately. “This Time” has to be one of the best songs Legend’s ever written and performed, with a majestic, cinematic quality. No doubt that’s due to the usage of former Yes-man Trevor Horn as a co-producer. I would be quite intrigued to see what Horn could do with Legend over the course of a full album
Price: 19.99 USD
Location: Westwood, New Jersey
End Time: 2024-12-23T22:19:07.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Color: Clear
Style: Roots
Artist: The Roots, Roots, John Legend
Record Label: Columbia
Format: CD
Release Year: 2008
Release Title: Evolver-Deluxe
Genre: Urban
