Reading Time: 2 min read

John Legend, Darkness and Light ยฉ Columbia

3.5 out of 5 stars

John Legend may not earn another no. 1 hit with single โ€œI Know Better,โ€ but he keeps traditional R&B on the โ€˜up and up.โ€™

Ahead of his fifth studio album, Darkness and Light, John Legend releases his third and final pre-release single. โ€œI Know Betterโ€ gives the soul singer/songwriter another compelling record, further building anticipation for Darkness and Light. While โ€œI Know Betterโ€ doesnโ€™t sound like a no. 1 hit, it plays to Legendโ€™s strengths. ย ย 

โ€œI 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, โ€œI Know Betterโ€ doesnโ€™t attempt to crossover to pop.ย  Instead, the record stays true to Legendโ€™s 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 Westโ€™s The College Dropout.

A lovely sound palette with piano and organ serves as the primary accompaniment.ย  The sound โ€œtakes 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, โ€œI Know Betterโ€ is a thoughtfully penned gospel-R&B number. Clearly, this is a song that plays well to Legendโ€™s base, not aiming for pop crossover success.ย  In an age where true R&B tends to come from indie-R&B artists, itโ€™s refreshing to hear Legend keep it alive-and-well in the mainstream.

John Legend โ€ขย Darkness and Light โ€ข Columbia โ€ข Release: 12.2.16
Photo Credit: Columbia
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the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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