John Legend Album Release Party
JOHN LEGEND PERFORMS SONGS FROM NEW ALBUM DARKNESS AND LIGHT, LIVE FOR THE “JOHN LEGEND ALBUM RELEASE PARTY LIVE ON THE HONDA STAGE AT THE IHEARTRADIO THEATER” IN LOS ANGELES
Last night, John Legend performed at the John Legend Album Release Party LIVE On The Honda Stage at the iHeartRadio Theater. While he played fan favorites such as All of Me and Ordinary People, he also performed Love Me Now, the lead single on his new album, Darkness and Light.
When host Ellen K asked Legend what his inspiration was for Love Me Now, and what the song means to him. He responded that you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future and the world is uncertain, but you have to savor every moment with the ones you love. He noted that having a daughter and a wife makes him feel that, but you don’t need to have a daughter or a wife to feel that. It means that you need to live life and love to the fullest while you have the opportunity to do so.
Legend also spoke about how Nabil Elderkin, a friend who also directed the video for Love Me Now, is the reason that Legend and wife Chrissy Teigen met. He had done shoots with both Legend and Teigen, and when he was getting into video directing, he shot the song Stereo and told Legend “You’re going to like this girl I’m going to cast in it—here’s a picture of her” and Legend said, “Perfect!” They instantly hit it off and had chemistry, and they’ve been together ever since.
The Love Me Now video captured some of their family but also features people from places around the world where things haven’t been going so well (such as the Domiz Refugee Camp in Northern Iraq, Orlando, Puerto Plata, and the Standing Rock Reservation). He mentioned that despite their situations, they still have their loved ones to hold on to. They are bonded by love, but also music and dance. They wanted to show that love is universal.
While he talks about love on the album, he also talks about the worries that creep in and make you wonder if it’s going to work out—We all have uncertainties and questions about how the world will work. Legend noted “That’s why I called the album Darkness and Light, because we all have those moments of doubt, moments of darkness, and moments of pain, but hopefully music, love and relationships can guide us through all of that and give us a little bit of light.”
Legend has called Darkness and Light his most honest work yet, saying that this album shows all of the sides of him that he may not have shown before on each album. Growing up and maturing has helped him understand his point of view and what he wants to say in his songs.
Set List:
- 1. Love Me Now
- 2. Overload
- 3. Surefire
- 4. Ordinary People
- 5. Green Light
- 6. All of Me