John Legend & The Roots

In the last few years, the term R&B has been used to cover so many different artists and songs that are not authentic Rythm and Blues. Now come on, is Beyoncé’s Single Ladies or Usher’s OMG really R&B? No. John Legend is the real, old school R&B. For his new album, Wake Up, the Grammy-awarded singer teams up with legendary hip-hop band The Roots. The result is an authentic musical bomb, but in the good sense. This album is a must-listen. It actually manages to somehow pull off the difficult task of being both message-minding and and radio-friendly.

The first half of the album is focused mostly on up-tempo songs with funky influences, and is probably one of the best album openings this year. The first track, Hard Times (featuring Black Thought) is impeccable. It’s full of soul and it magically transports you to a whole new dimension, as if you were sitting in a 1940s bar. It’s like listening to live music. Not to mention that Black Thought elevates the track even further with his verse, converting the track in a modern neo soul anthem. Common and Melanie Fiona lend their vocals to the single Wake Up Everybody, a softer and maybe happier tune. Again, it’s impeccably produced, and it does not depend on the collaborations, it totally stands on its own.

Compared To What and Our Generation (The Hope Of The World) bring out the funky attitude Legend hides behind all that soul. Without knowing it, you’ll be nodding your head to the rhythm of the music! I’ve never been a fan of preludes, so I would probably do without Little Ghetto Boy (Prelude). After that, the album gets less exciting, but for those who enjoy those more melodic and down-tempo tunes, the second half of the album will be a total delight. Track number 8, Humanity (Love The Way It Should Be) is a hilariously cool track. The only way to make it better would be bringing in Amy Winehouse to duet with Legend (yes please!).

I could listen to this album again and again. It’s one of the best albums so far this year, and a complete ray of sunshine that stands out of all the glossy and cloudy music out there right now. Sometimes, music is art, but other times (more often than we would wish) it’s not. In this case it surely is one of those rare and exquisite pieces of art. It’s delicate, it’s elegant, it’s soulful. It’s legendary.