Imagine having the self belief to go around calling yourself John Legend. Ohio singer-songwriter John Stephens has been cocky enough to use the stage name since his debut album in 2004, and now he’s on his eighth he seems even more convinced of his stature.
It’s titled simply Legend. “This is me saying I’m proud of who I am, I’m confident in the work I’ve done, and I’m just going to declare it,” he said in advance of the release. It also aims to stand out in his catalogue by being enormous: 24 songs, separated into two “acts” which aren’t radically different aside from the first half being a bit more upbeat.
