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Bigger Love

Bigger Love[1] is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Legend. It was released on June 19, 2020, through Columbia Records. The album includes the singles "Conversations in the Dark", "Actions", "Bigger Love", and "Wild". The album won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.[2] The album was further promoted by a limited North American tour leg that began on September 1, 2021, after several stops on the original US and UK tour itinerary were either postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4]

Bigger Love
Digital version and stylized graphics colors of lighter green instead of dark green.
Studio album by
John Legend
ReleasedJune 19, 2020
Length55:51
Label
Producer
John Legend chronology
A Legendary Christmas
(2018) 		Bigger Love
(2020) 		Legend
(2022)
Singles from Bigger Love
  1. "Conversations in the Dark"
    Released: January 10, 2020
  2. "Actions"
    Released: March 20, 2020
  3. "Bigger Love"
    Released: April 17, 2020
  4. "Wild"
    Released: August 13, 2020

Background

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Bigger Love was written mostly in 2019.[5] Recording for the album finished in February 2020.[6] Legend stated he hoped the album would bring joy and be uplifting in light of the George Floyd protests that were taking place during the album's release.[6] He released the cover art and track listing on June 12, a week before the release.[7]

Artwork

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The cover art was painted by artist Charly "Carlos" Palmer. The piece features a smiling portrait of the singer-songwriter covered in blooming flowers and a starry sky against a pop of turquoise backdrop.

Singles

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Three singles were put out before the album was released.[6] "Conversations in the Dark" was released on January 10, 2020.[8] "Actions" was released on March 20. Legend performed "Actions" on The Tonight Show.[9] The title track, "Bigger Love", was released on April 17, 2020. "Wild", a collaboration with American musician Gary Clark Jr., was released on August 13, 2020.[10]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic59/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash6/10[12]
The Guardian     [13]
Rolling Stone     [14]
Pitchfork(6.4/10)[15]
The Independent     [16]

The album received generally mixed reviews from critics.[11] Rolling Stone rated the album 3.5/5 stars, stating that the album's "self-aware" themes fit well with the current environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] Rated R&B recognized the album on its 30 Best R&B Albums of 2020 list, stating, "Bigger Love celebrates everlasting love as John Legend serenades with soothing falsettos, bold instrumentation, and groovy new sounds."[17]

Track listing

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All tracks, album credits, and metadata adapted from iTunes.[18]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Ooh Laa"
2:59
2."Actions"
  • Stephens
  • Felder
  • Sorrells
  • Niceforo
  • Joshua Karpeh
  • Coleridge Tillman
  • David Axelrod
Oak2:54
3."I Do"
2:47
4."One Life"
3:14
5."Wild" (with Gary Clark Jr.)
3:16
6."Bigger Love"
2:50
7."U Move, I Move" (featuring Jhené Aiko)
  • Campbell
  • Michael Bywaters
  • Jonas W. Karlsson
  • Stephens
Jonas W. Karlsson3:43
8."Favorite Place"
2:48
9."Slow Cooker"
  • Stephens
  • Campbell
  • Elias "LIAS" Näslin
  • Toluwanimi Adeyemo
4:22
10."Focused"
3:02
11."Conversations in the Dark"
  • Wattenberg
  • Pom Pom
3:55
12."Don't Walk Away" (with Koffee)
Di Genius3:40
13."Remember Us" (with Rapsody)
  • E. Hudson
  • Murdock[a]
4:51
14."I'm Ready" (featuring Camper)
DJ Camper3:51
15."Always"
  • Stephens
  • Ester Dean
  • Camper, Jr.
  • Justus Alexander West
  • DJ Camper
  • Justus West[a]
  • Branden Rowell[a]
3:26
16."Never Break"
4:13
Total length:55:51
Japan bonus tracks[19]
No.TitleLength
17."Conversations in the Dark" (John Legend vs. David Guetta)3:30
18."Bigger Love (Remix)" (featuring Mau y Ricky)3:22
Total length:62:55

Notes

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  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[v] signifies a vocal producer

Charts

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Chart performance for Bigger Love
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[20] 52
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] 42
French Albums (SNEP)[22] 179
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[23] 165
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] 93
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 30
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 63
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[27] 1
US Billboard 200[28] 19

References

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  1. ^ Aniftos, Rania (May 13, 2020). "John Legend's 'Bigger Love' Album Gets a Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  2. ^ "63rd Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy Awards. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Centeno, Tony M. (October 1, 2021). "John Legend Returns to South Florida for the Second Leg of His Bigger Love Tour". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "Official John Legend VIP Experiences". CID Entertainment. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Dinges, Gary (June 17, 2020). "EGOT winner John Legend says new album 'Bigger Love' is his 'best work' yet". USA Today.
  6. ^ a b c Saponara, Michael (June 17, 2020). "Inside John Legend's 'Bigger Love' Album, Which He Hopes Can 'Lift People Up'". Billboard.
  7. ^ Grant, Shawn (June 12, 2020). "John Legend Reveals Cover and Tracklist for 'Bigger Love' Album". The Source.
  8. ^ Aniftos, Rania (January 10, 2020). "John Legend Unveils the Sweet 'Conversations in the Dark' Ahead of Upcoming 'This Is Us' Episode". Billboard.
  9. ^ Zemler, Emily (March 25, 2020). "Watch John Legend Perform 'Actions' on At-Home Edition of 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone.
  10. ^ Sources concerning the single release of "Wild":
  11. ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Murray, Robin (June 19, 2020). "Clash Magazine Review". Clash. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Kheraj, Alim (June 19, 2020). "John Legend: Bigger Love – synths, snogging and schmaltz". The Guardian. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Dolan, Jon (June 18, 2020). "John Legend's 'Bigger Love' is a Bear Hug We Need Right Now". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (June 24, 2020). "John Legend Bigger Love". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork.
  16. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (June 17, 2020). "Album reviews: Neil Young – Homegrown, and John Legend – BIGGER LOVE". independent.co.uk. The Independent.
  17. ^ "The 30 Best R&B Albums of 2020: Staff Picks". ratedrnb.com. December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "Bigger Love by John Legend on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  19. ^ "Bigger Love / ビガー・ラヴ – Tower Records". Tower Records. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  20. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 29 June 2020". No. 1582. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 29, 2020. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – John Legend – Bigger Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  22. ^ "Top Albums (Week 26, 2020)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  23. ^ "John Legend". Oricon. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  25. ^ "Swisscharts.com – John Legend – Bigger Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  27. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "John Legend Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
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