John Legend may not earn another no. 1 hit with single โI Know Better,โ but he keeps traditional R&B on the โup and up.โ
Ahead of his fifth studio album, Darkness and Light, John Legend releases his third and final pre-release single. โI Know Betterโ gives the soul singer/songwriter another compelling record, further building anticipation for Darkness and Light. While โI Know Betterโ doesnโt sound like a no. 1 hit, it plays to Legendโs strengths. ย ย
โI Know Betterโ begins abruptly, sometimes an off-putting songwriting technique.ย Despite the lack of an intro, the gospel-R&B record settles in soundly.ย Unlike much of R&B in 2016, โI Know Betterโ doesnโt attempt to crossover to pop.ย Instead, the record stays true to Legendโs roots โ a pro. Legend exhibits a beautiful vocal tone. This is clearly the expectation from the soulful musician who first garnered attention singing hooks on Kanye Westโs The College Dropout.
A lovely sound palette with piano and organ serves as the primary accompaniment.ย The sound โtakes us back to church.โ Other observations include a respectable harmonic progression. The chords are nothing too crazy, but feel right given the stripped vibe of this song.ย As the song progresses, it grows more exciting with a few more instrumental twists, namely during the bridge section.
Final Thoughtsย
All in all, โI Know Betterโ is a thoughtfully penned gospel-R&B number. Clearly, this is a song that plays well to Legendโs base, not aiming for pop crossover success.ย In an age where true R&B tends to come from indie-R&B artists, itโs refreshing to hear Legend keep it alive-and-well in the mainstream.