I like to hear those things.Īnd sometimes I just think people are haters. Every artist wants some sort of feedback, because you make this music and you hope people love it and you want to hear if they love it and what they love about it, what their favorite song is, what they think the next single should be. Sometimes I take it as constructive criticism. If a few people decide not to buy my album it's really not going to change my life that much.ĬNN: Do you ever check out what people are saying about you online?
It's like everybody loves to put negative comments on the Internet under the cloak of anonymity. Legend: You can always find a stray negative comment on the Internet. And for those who don't agree with me, I feel like I respect their right to disagree and they should respect mine as well.ĬNN: I noticed somebody posted a message under one of your videos on YouTube essentially saying they decided not to buy your new album after seeing you voice your support for Obama. Legend: I get the sense that most of my fans are also Obama supporters. So that's cool.ĬNN: When you support a candidate as you have you take the risk of ticking off some of your fans. He told me he does, and his staff told me he's a big fan.
Let's make that anthem, try to get people to rally without being ashamed of the clearness and the boldness of the message. I figured I could be ironic, I could be subtle, or I could be cynical, but why not just go out there and say it, you know. And because I support him, because I'm passionate enough in my belief that he's the right person, I've done specific things to help him get elected, like helping to raise money, helping to get out the vote.ĬNN: Your song "If You're Out There" sounds like a real rallying cry. So I've just chosen to support somebody who I believe is the right candidate. Legend: Well, I've always followed politics, and I think politics is everybody's business because we're electing someone who's going to be making important decisions that will affect all of our lives. But the topic is extra sexy.ĬNN: You performed at the Democratic National Convention and recently at a benefit supporting Obama. I'm used to getting sexy sometimes in the lyrics. Like on the song "Good Morning" (in which Legend tries to commence amorous activity with his lover in the morning hours).
Not stale in the sense I could've done the same thing over again but I didn't want to.ĬNN: You also get a bit sexy with the lyrics. Some of the sounds are different on this album. There are definitely still some good ballads on the album.Īctually some of the best songs on the album are ballads. This album definitely has a different feel. John Legend: You're not imagining things. The following is an edited version of the interview.ĬNN: Is it my imagination or are you going for a more uptempo vibe this time around? A logy Legend sat down with CNN to talk about his new sound, politics, and why he doesn't get riled up about what he reads online. "So I'm a bit ambitious anyway." Watch how Legend tries to live up to the name » He's the first to point out what a self-starter he is. Legend, who was born in Springfield, Ohio, as John Stephens, is also working on alleviating poverty in areas of Africa with his charitable endeavor the Show Me Campaign.
In August he signaled his support for presidential candidate Barack Obama by debuting the song "If You're Out There" at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The five-time Grammy winner is also finding his voice outside the music world. You'll also hear from rising British star Estelle, whom Legend signed to HomeSchool Records, the label he launched earlier this year. Andre 3000, Kanye West and Brandy join him for the ride. Legend spends less time on soulful, piano-driven ballads on this release and focuses more on contemporary R&B tracks with playful electronic beats. In fact, he's doing a lot of moving around. The 29-year-old crooner released his third album, "Evolver," this week, and as the title suggests, he's moving in a new direction.