John Legend has just released his vibrant new album, Bigger Love, featuring Jhené Aiko, Koffee, Rapsody, Camper, and Gary Clark Jr. Legend's seventh studio album also arrives on Juneteenth as well, the American holiday celebrating the day slaves in Galveston, Texas were told they were free. His last studio album was his 2018 Christmas themed project A Legendary Christmas.
"This project has been a labor of love for me, something I’ve spent over a year conceiving and creating," Legend wrote in his Instagram caption revealing the album cover and tracklist. "I poured my heart and soul into these songs and collaborated with some incredibly gifted co-writers, producers and musicians."
Legend goes on to describe each of the songs are inspired by a different love of his life: "my wife, my family and the rich tradition of black music that has made me the artist I am."
He also clarified that this album was made prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic that is impacting our regular lives, and the most recent series of murders at the hands of police that have sparked protests across the country.
"This album is a celebration of love, joy, sensuality, hope, and resilience, the things that make our culture so beautiful and influential," he said. "I’m under no illusion that music can save the world or solve the world’s problems, but I’ve always turned to music to help me through tough times and I know many of you have done the same. That’s why I couldn’t wait to release this album to the world."
Bigger Love also has arrived on the same day that John Legend battles his peer Alicia Keys in a special Juneteenth edition of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's Verzuz Instagram Live battle series. The two musical heavyweights are set to go hit-for-hit on Friday night, both flexing incredibly dense and celebrated catalogs.
You can stream John Legend's seventh studio album Bigger Love down below, and tune into his Verzuz battle against Alicia Keys on their respective Instagram pages.
