John Legend at the O2 Arena

Some people desire to be famous, for some, it is destined. With a name like John Legend, it was clear what path the Ohio native would take. On this, the 20^th anniversary year of his debut album Get Lifted, with an international tour lasting till December, Legend is attempting to enter his icon era.

At O2 London, with no opener, in an all-white Liberace-esque suit, Legend is gunning for Prince status. With a minimal stage setup – just his nine-piece band and three backup singers – the performer wants to bring back the R’n’B legend. 

He opens the show with the titular track Get Lifted, playing through other hits from the album, such as Alright. He then addresses the crowd, taking us through his journey, from finding his voice in church in his hometown of Springfield, to moving to Pennsylvania, where he got his first big break after meeting Lauryn Hill.

He launches into the piano part he wrote for Hill’s Everything is Everything from her acclaimed album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as part of a medley, showing off his wide array of collaborations, including multiple tracks from Kanye West’s debut album The College Dropout. He jokes that “we all miss the old Kanye”, the crowd in agreement. He then moves on to Alicia Keys’s You Don’t Know My Name and Estelle’s American Boy, a homecoming for British fans. 

He takes it back even further, bringing out Corinne Bailey Rae for a cover of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s Where Is the Love?. Rae then takes the mic solo for the classic Put Your Records On. The set is laced with music’s favourite drug: nostalgia. However, Legend isn’t stuck in the past. What he is is an artist who wants you to know his influence. Reminding a crowd that may remember him more for modern hits like I’m Gonna Lose You of his lasting legacy. Legend wants you to know he’s your favourite artist’s favourite artist to have in the studio. 

Green Light, his collaboration with Andre 3000, is by far the standout, getting the entire arena on their feet. Through the two-hour-long show, he keeps his stamina, even using some of his time to bring a fan on stage for a special dance before slowing the show down to a close with an emotional rendition of Ordinary People, explaining how the ordinary people he sings about were his parents and telling us he “wouldn’t be a musician without them”. He saves All of Me for last before gracefully bowing off stage. 

Sara Belkadi
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events, visit John Legend’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Wonder Woman here: