★★★★★
There are few names bigger than John Legend when it comes to R&B. Whether it be a panty-wetting paean of his own or an appearance to provide a soulful hook to a Kanye song, John Legend is going to grab your attention. So how is it that there has been such little buzz in the five years it's been since his last solo album? Legend may have a better handle on staying out of the news than most of his peers. He's also better at his job than most...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-10-01
★★★★★
"...Once you hear the album, you'll know that no one else is doing what I'm doing. I just try to keep making music that I love and believe in, and I let the trends go where they go." John "Legend" Stephens, 2004 (The Dallas Morning News) Love him or loathe him, take him or leave him, John Legend has always been clear about his intentions and his artistry...
- www.soultracks.com
2013-09-10
★★★★★
Don't be fooled by the title of John Legend's fourth solo record, as the music actually looks backward to sweeping romanticism and pop formalism. All of Legend's strengths are present: keen melodies, smooth vocal understatement, and artful arrangements. Essentially, the disc plays like a love letter to his fiancee, supermodel Chrissy Teigen, yet it resonates. Each song either extols the graces of a woman or endorses the endurance of relationships...
- www.bostonglobe.com
2013-09-10
★★★★★
John Legend Love in the FutureBy Ryan B. PatrickLove in the Future? Speaking of which, any forthcoming John Legend documentary should be titled The Curious Case of John Stephens. For a musical prodigy that first burst out of the gate with a lively debut album (2004's Get Lifted), Legend has settled into a languid musical stride, one akin to a Las Vegas lounge singer. As one of the initial members of Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
- exclaim.ca
2013-09-04
★★★★★
John Legend's fiancee, model Chrissy Teigen, recently said she never wears underwear. And who can blame her: Undies fly away like silken doves when the reigning king of hip-hop soul is in the general vicinity. On Legend's fourth LP, executive producer Kanye West helps give him a plush, nuanced palette to match his signature emotional generosity and strong sensuality - from mountainous piano crushers like "All of Me" to "The Beginning," which flips a freaking Sara Bareilles sample into a promise...
- www.rollingstone.com
2013-09-03
★★★★★
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Returning after a five year solo hiatus, following his 2008 release Evolver, John Legend comes forth with the soulfully delectable Love In The Future. Filled with slick hip hop inspired ballads and emotionally touching sing-a-longs, Legend has returned to doing what he does best, which is carving matters of the heart and soul in to the minds of the consumer...
- www.gigwise.com
2013-09-02
★★★★★
John Legend is the rare artist who admits to listening to his critics, so while I don't think constructive criticism is any more a necessity for a successful review than explicitly telling readers whether or not an album is worth their hard-earned 10 bucks, I occasionally find myself doing just that when I genuinely like an artist...
- www.slantmagazine.com
2013-09-02
★★★★★
John Legend's fifth studio album is a far cry from his last, 2010's consciousness-raising, full-tilt collaboration with the Roots, Wake Up! The sound is positively pared in comparison, produced and programmed by the likes of Kanye West and Dave Tozer. Legend's voice is excellent throughout and comes to the fore on ballads such as All of Me...
- www.theguardian.com
2013-09-01
★★★★★
Hip-hop juggernaut the Roots have already made one of the year's better albums with "How I Got Over," and now only a few months later they're back in tandem with R&B singer John Legend. "Wake Up!" (Columbia) began taking shape amid Barack Obama's presidential campaign of 2008, a time of rising political awareness and empowerment in the African-American community...
- leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com
2011-05-09