Review:
Love in the Future is John Legend’s fourth solo studio album, after
taking five years between releases (in which he recorded Wake
Up! with the Roots, and featuring on a ton of hip hop tracks).
With Love in the Future, John
Legend wanted to make a modern R&B/soul album unlike anything heard in the
genre. He also employed a wide mix of great producers to help shape the sound,
often having multiple producers work on tracks independently. That said,
Legend, Kanye West, and Dave Tozer serve as the album’s overall creative forces.
The result of having many creative voices actually works out pretty well, as
Love in the Future has a very different and interesting sound – while still
clearly feeling both like a soul album and a John Legend album. It is a much
better and more interesting release than Evolver,
but it will likely disappoint Legend’s initial fans who loved Get
Lifted and Once
Again, as Legend has moved on musically.
While the album definitely feels
new and different (but with a connection to the past), it does not adopt the
extremely (probably overly so) popular trend of an EDM vibe/influence. This
very much feels like a soul record. It is modern in a fresh way, without the
synths and electronic beats. The music that accompanies Legend is lush, eerie
(at times), and tempered to meet the parameters of modern soul. Musically, it
is an album that plays well in the background, with only a few tracks that
really stand out.
Lyrically, Legend sings about the
joys of romance. The lyrics feel like they are mostly aimed at new couples who
are still in the throes of just being around one and other with optimistic
plans for the future. It is a pleasant tone that fits Legend’s demographic and
talent.
Love in the Future does not
revolutionize soul music, but it is a good album – and one with more crossover
potential than most classically sounding soul records. 3/5
Essential Tracks:
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