John Legend in an interview: “I am very worried about my country”

John Legend, you spoke at the Democratic National Convention last year. Now Trump is president again. How are you currently viewing the situation in your home country?

I'm deeply worried about my country. We're already seeing the consequences of poor leadership, the hiring of people unqualified for their jobs, the disruption of the global economic system with this unnecessary trade war, and the illegal deportation of people to foreign prisons. And I believe it's only going to get worse. It's a frightening time for the United States, but it's also having ramifications for the rest of the world.

Is the music industry already feeling the effects of Trump’s policies?

I don't know, but if the economy collapses, it will affect everyone. It will also affect ticket sales, for example. But I think we as artists have a special responsibility to speak to people, to connect with them, and to encourage them. I hope we can all continue to do that.

Have you thought about changing anything about your appearance because of this?

I'm not changing. I've always been willing to speak up when I thought I could contribute to the conversation, and I'll continue to do so.

At the beginning of the year, there was criticism of one of your performances in Rwanda. Among other things, you said that you weren't happy with many things in the USA either, but that you were still performing for the people.

It's not my job to punish the people of a country because I disagree with their leadership. And as I've said before, I also vehemently disagree with the current leadership of the United States, but that doesn't mean I won't perform for the people of the United States.

Can music also help people in difficult political situations?

I hope so, yes.

And what influence can love songs have on people? You're especially known for your romantic songs.

I think my songs help many couples express their feelings for each other. That's a beautiful thing. I'm grateful that I'm connected to so many people's relationships and that certain songs mean so much to them and are connected to specific times in their lives.

They also recently helped Philadelphia Eagles football player AJ Brown propose to his girlfriend by singing “All of Me” for her, among other songs...

Yes, but the most important song for him was "Conversations in the Dark." He wanted me to sing it while he proposed to his future wife. It was truly beautiful and very intimate. I feel honored that he asked me to be there.

You wrote both songs for your wife. Are you as romantic as your songs?

I don't think anyone is as romantic as his songs (laughs). But I try. Occasions that are important to my wife, whether it's Mother's Day, our anniversary, Valentine's Day, or her birthday, I try to make them special, and to be as attentive as possible and listen to what she likes and what she's into, to make those experiences unforgettable. But AJ's proposal was extra special—it's hard to top that.

You've been married for over ten years now. Now you're going on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of your first album. How much has your life changed since its release?

I was single back then, childless, and now I'm happily married with four children. I wrote from the perspective of a bachelor in my mid-20s, and the songs reflect that. Each album represents where I was at that point in my life.

And how do you manage with your four children when you're on tour?

The children accompany me when they can. This European tour, however, is only two and a half weeks away, and the children are in school, so they won't be coming with me. But they've traveled to Europe with me before, and we loved it. Whenever possible, I take them with me on trips.

How is life generally with four children, two of whom are still very young?

Oh, it's full of energy and excitement. We laugh a lot. It definitely requires a lot of attention and time to be good parents to four children, but of course we have help. We're doing our best, and the children really bring us a lot of joy.

What do your children think of your music? The two older ones will probably understand that your father is a pop star.

My children enjoy coming to the concerts. And they love listening to the new music when I'm working on it. They're often the first to hear it. I think they've truly fallen in love with music because there's so much music around them. But it's also easy to fall in love with music.

So you raise your children very musically?

Yes, both Miles and Luna are taking piano lessons, and even the two babies are taking a kind of music class where they dance around and play with rattles. Luna is also taking singing lessons and doing musical theater at school. So, music is an important part of her life and our entire family.

Do you also want to become pop stars like your dad?

I don't know if they want that, but I wanted them to at least grow up with music. I think it's important for every child to have a foundation in the arts, including music, even if they don't become professionals.

A few years ago, you and your wife went public with a miscarriage. Looking back, are you glad you went public with it? More and more women are now talking about it and helping to break the taboo around the topic.

Yes, exactly. I think that's why it was good that Chrissy wanted to talk about the miscarriage. We've met so many people over the years who had the same experience and were inspired by Chrissy, by our willingness to share and talk about it. If we could contribute in any way to making this topic less taboo, that's a good thing.

How often do you still think about it?

I have Jack tattooed on my arm (holds the tattoo up to the camera). Chrissy has it too, and occasionally we think about that time. It was a really difficult time for us and our family. But sometimes it's these challenges and trials that you go through together as a family that make you stronger. We came out of it stronger.

Music can also give strength to many people. Which of your songs means the most to you personally?

"Ordinary People" was my first big hit, and it still means a lot to me. I'm excited that we can celebrate that song and all the songs released with it on the "Get Lifted" album on this tour.

What do you associate with the song?

When I wrote the song, my parents were going through their second divorce. I wrote about the ups and downs of love and how normal people go through all sorts of things in their relationships. When I think about the song, I connect with what my family went through during that time.

When you sing it again now, is it like traveling back in time?

When I perform a song, I'm truly in the moment, wanting to connect with the audience and get them singing along. I focus primarily on the relationship with the audience.

Are there any songs from back then that you can no longer connect with?

I'm still very proud of all the songs and look forward to playing them live. When I listen to them, I sometimes think I might have changed an aspect today or maybe disagree with some production decisions, but I feel like the songs hold up and are, in a way, timeless.

How do you generally remember the time when the music was released?

It was a wonderful, exciting time. Especially with the release of the song "Ordinary People," I realized how much it meant to people. 2005 ended with me being nominated for eight Grammys. That was crazy and exceeded my wildest dreams. Then, in early 2006, I won Best New Artist and two more Grammys. That time set me on a course for the rest of my career that I'm proud of.

What do you think is the biggest change you have witnessed in 20 years in the music business?

The transition to the streaming era has clearly been the biggest change. "Get Lifted" was released primarily on CD. Back then, we were concerned about things like Napster and piracy on the internet. Today, almost the entire industry has moved to streaming, meaning all of our music is accessible at any time. An album like "Get Lifted" can be listened to just like my latest work.

Do you still have CDs at home?

No, they're all gone.

Not even your own from the early days?

I have some vinyl versions of my albums, and I still have a record player, but I haven't played a CD in a very long time.