After more than two decades of friendship, John Legend and Pharrell Williams have made a full album together. Muse, Legend’s 11th studio album, arrived October 23 via Republic Records, with Pharrell producing and co-writing all 16 tracks.
For Legend, it meant handing over a level of creative control he rarely gives up. “I recorded some songs on this album that he fully wrote, which I almost never do,” he said.
The result moves well past the piano ballads fans know him for. It travels through gospel, doo-wop, soul, standards, Afrobeat and hip-hop. The Afrobeats-inspired lead single “Daylight” set a feel-good tone, while “Fireflies” leaned into haunting piano and strings. Pharrell appears on several tracks, and Clipse join for “Bodies on the Floor.”
The EGOT winner is staying busy beyond the album. He returned to coach The Voice this year, and his company co-produced Cats: The Jellicle Ball, which won three Tony Awards. He’s also working on Imitation of Life, a new musical opening in December at The Shed.
