John Legend

Get Lifted arrived in 2004, bringing soul, R&B and hip-hop production into the same musical frame. Used to Love U has a restless rhythmic energy, while Ordinary People makes a powerful contrast by leaving the piano and vocal exposed. The album’s range is easy to miss if the ballad becomes the whole story. There are playful, uneasy and openly communal moments around it, with the singing adapting to the scale of each setting.

Once Again followed in 2006. The arrangements explore a broader, sometimes more classic pop-soul sound without losing the sense of a musician attending closely to the song. Save Room is an inviting starting point, but the changes in texture across the album matter as well. Legend’s phrasing can give a simple melodic line a particular weight without needing to decorate every word.

Evolver in 2008 brought another useful change of pace. Green Light, featuring André 3000, places the voice in a much more urgent electronic setting. Other songs keep the familiar warmth while widening the rhythmic and collaborative possibilities. The later catalogue continued to move between intimate ballads, socially engaged work and more expansive pop production. The first three albums offer a clear and rewarding route. Hear the first album’s concentrated songwriting, the second’s broader arrangements and the third’s willingness to move. The common thread is an ability to keep the singer audible as a person within the production, even when the setting grows far larger than a piano in a room.