Bigger Love

by John Legend

Overview

Despite John Legend's superabundant evidence of talent and achievements as a singer, songwriter, and pianist, his profile seemed like that of a celebrity peddling music on the side by the time he issued his first album of the 2020s. Relating to that notion, Bigger Love sounds cobbled together compared to Love in the Future and Darkness and Light, two of his previous and inspired albums. No two tracks share the same production credits, but Legend at least keeps it loosely tied together with nonstop positive and emphatic lovey-dovey/libidinal energy, and is no doubt helped by input from executive producer and labelmate Raphael Saadiq, who contributed to Once Again and produced A Legendary Christmas. Saadiq also co-pilots with Charlie Puth on the smooth disco proposition "I Do," the ideal set-up for "One Life," a brawnier '70s dancefloor trip guided by Anderson .Paak and Jeff Gitelman. "Conversations in the Dark" is one of Legend's best ballads, atmospheric and devotional with just enough power and specificity in the words to weaken cynical romantics. Among the guests, Gary Clark, Jr. distinguishes the ballad "Wild" with a solo that sounds like it had to come out of him, and Rapsody slides into position on the Al Green throwback "Remember Us" with some of her grade-A narrative wordplay. For Legend fans who value the sound of the man's exceptional-as-ever voice, Bigger Love will hold them over until the next release, without question. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	08/14/2020
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0194397839524

Tracks

1. Ooh Laa
2. Actions
3. I Do
4. One Life
5. Wild
6. Bigger Love
7. U Move, I Move
8. Favorite Place
9. Slow Cooker
10. Focused
11. Conversations in the Dark
12. Don't Walk Away
13. Remember Us
14. I'm Ready
15. Always
16. Never Break

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Legend   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Rapsody   Primary Artist,Rap,Featured Artist
Gary Clark, Jr.   Primary Artist,Soloist,Featured Artist
Greg Wells   Organ (Hammond),Organ
Scott Mayo   Flute,Flute (Alto)
Raphael Saadiq   Bass,Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Tom Barnes   Drums
Stephanie Matthews   Violin
Ben Kohn   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Dimitry Gorodetsky   Bass (Upright)
Keri Lee   Vocals (Background)
Tahirah Whittington   Cello
Sam Roman   Vocals (Background)
Toulouse   Guitar
Nate Mercereau   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,French Horn
Ben McIldowie   Percussion
Peter Kelleher   Keyboards,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Shaina Evoniuk   Strings
Di Genius   Guitar
Curtis Hudson   Guitar
Gregg Wattenberg   Bass,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Anderson .Paak   Drums
Tayla Parx   Vocals (Background)
Trey Campbell   Vocals (Background)
Cautious Clay   Bass,Saxophone,Vocals (Background)
Chance Pena   Vocals (Background)
Drew Forde   Viola
Jake Torrey   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Matt Jones Orchestra   Orchestra
Erick Walls   Guitar
Steve Wyreman   Guitar,Keyboards
Jeff Gitelman   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Nasri Atweh   Vocals (Background)
Jesse Fink   Vocals (Background)
Camper   Featured Artist
Alex Nice   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Benzi Edelson   Piano
Danae Greenfield   Piano
Ayana George   Vocals (Background)
Jhene Aiko   Featured Artist
Garrison Brown   Drums
Oak   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Scott Tixier   Violin
Peter Lee Johnson   Strings
Darhyl Camper   Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Caitlin Edwards   Violin
Mia Wattenberg   Vocals (Background)
Keith Sorrells   Vocals (Background)
Natalie Imani   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Danny Murdock   Drums
Jamelle Adisa   Horn,Flugelhorn
Clayton Penrose-Whitmore   Violin
Koffee   Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Pom Pom   Bass,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Greg Wells   Composer,Producer,Mixing
Wayne Hector   Composer
Scott Mayo   Horn Arrangements
Ryan Tedder   Composer,Producer
Raphael Saadiq   Producer,Executive Producer
Marlanna Evans   Composer
Tom Barnes   Composer,Programming
Al Jackson, Jr.   Composer
Anthony Kilhoffer   Engineer
Eric Hudson   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Gerry Brown   Mixing
Ben Kohn   Composer
Stephen McGregor   Composer
Al Green   Composer
David Axelrod   Composer
Ester Dean   Composer
Willie Mitchell   Composer
Andrew Ross   Music Business Affairs
Al Dubin   Composer
Chris Feldmann   Design,Art Direction
John Stephens   Composer
Mike Bozzi   Mastering
Gregg Rominiecki   Vocal Engineer
Eric Frederic   Composer
Sam Roman   Composer
Matt Becks   Mixing
Bobby Campbell   Mixing
Julia Michaels   Composer
Nate Mercereau   Composer,Engineer,Producer,String Arrangements
Ben McIldowie   Composer,Producer,Programming,String Arrangements
Coleridge Tillman   Composer
Peter Kelleher   Composer
Don Baker   Design,Art Direction
Jonas W. Karlsson   Composer,Producer
Shawn Holiday   A&R
Curtis Hudson   Composer
Gregg Wattenberg   Composer,Producer
Ricky Reed   Mixing,Producer
Elias Naeslin   Composer
Kirby Lauryen   Composer
Anderson .Paak   Composer,Producer
Hotae Alexander Jang   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Danny Johnson   Mixing Assistant
Toluwanimi Adeyemo   Composer
Charlie Puth   Composer,Producer
Mike Waters   Composer
Jhair Lazo   Engineer
Ethan Shumaker   Engineer
Tayla Parx   Composer
Matt Jones   String Arrangements
Trey Campbell   Composer
Cautious Clay   Composer,Producer
Rob English   Creative Director
Chance Pena   Composer
Zach Skelton   Composer,Producer
Jake Torrey   Composer
Digi   Producer
Keith Sorrells   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Assistant Engineer
John Legend   Executive Producer
Teddy Geiger   Composer
Steve Wyreman   Producer
Jeff Gitelman   Composer,String Arrangements
Harry Warren   Composer
Warren Felder   Composer,Engineer
Nasri Atweh   Composer
Richard Biethan   Engineer
Leo Bescotti   Engineer
Jesse Fink   Composer
Charlie Marshall   Assistant Engineer
Ricardo Bojorquez   Design
Alex Nice   Producer
Kyle Metcalfe   Mixing Assistant
Lias   Engineer,Producer,Instrumentation
Charly Palmer   Paintings
Doug Inglish   Photography
Sean Massih   Mixing Assistant
Branden Rowell   Producer
Di Genius   Producer,Programming
Oak   Producer,Drum Programming
Kellen Pomeranz   Composer
Alex Niceforo   Composer
Darhyl Camper   Composer,Producer
Benjamin Rice   Vocal Producer
TMS   Engineer,Producer
Jamil Chammas   Composer
Rich Rich   Engineer
Nicole Ranalli   Assistant Engineer
Justus West   Composer,Producer
Danny Murdock   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Jamelle Adisa   Horn Arrangements
Mikayla Victoria Simpson   Composer
Theo Wayland   Mixing Assistant
Pom Pom   Producer,Programming