Legend also played the piano on Lauryn Hill's 1998 song "Everything is Everything" and sang background vocals on Jay-Z's "Encore" and Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name". Legend frequently cites gospel, R&B, and hip hop music as his main musical influences.
Legend released his critically acclaimed and Billboard Top Ten second album, Once Again, in October 2006. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, Kanye West and will.i.am, it is again a mixture of gospel and classic soul showcasing his extraordinary voice, particularly on "Show Me".
Grammy Award Wins:
*2005 Best New Artist
*2005 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Ordinary People"
*2005 Best R&B Album- Get Lifted
*2007 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Heaven
*2007 Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Family Affair
Neo-soul singer and pianist John Legend combined the raw fervor of contemporaries Cody ChesnuTT and the burning precision of D'Angelo. Born John Stephens, Legend was a child prodigy who grew up in Ohio, where he began singing gospel and playing piano at the tender age of five. Legend left Ohio at 16 to attend college in Philadelphia, and it was there that he first found a larger audience. Not yet out of his teens, Legend was tapped to play piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" in 1998. After completing college, he moved to New York, where he began to build a loyal following playing in nightclubs and releasing CDs that he would sell at shows. He also became an in-demand session musician, playing and occasionally writing for a wide array of artists, including Alicia Keys, Twista, Janet Jackson, and Kanye West. It wasn't until West signed the young talent to his new label that he adopted the Legend name with 2004's Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory. Get Lifted, his first studio album, was released later in the year. On the strength of enduring single "Ordinary People," the album reached the Top Five of the Billboard 200. This led to three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Album, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist. Once Again, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, followed in October 2006. Live from Philadelphia, sold exclusively at Target stores, was a successful stopgap release that predated October 2008's Evolver.
Stereo
John Legend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crafty, bold and beautiful
Stage right, locked eyes, I swear it's magical
Her name is Melanie, says she digs my melody
Likes how I move, thinks I'm cool, that's what she says to me
Big stage, bright light, short love, long night
Frequent flies through the skies to some stars
I come back to town, she's hangin' around
But still feels so real but it can't go too far
Her favorite colors be platinum and gold!
She only loves in stereo! she only loves in stereo!
I should know 'cause I've seen it before
I think I gotta let her go, she only loves in stereo!
Oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh
Turn on the video, oh my goodness there she goes
Now I'm hot, seems I'm not, the only one she knows
Name dropping everyday, I still want her anyway
I like how she moves, think she's cool my favorite get away
Big stage, bright light, short love, long night
Deja vu yeah we'll do it again, off to the next town
She's onto the next round
Let it go, we both know that its all gonna end oh
Her favorite colors be platinum and gold
She only loves in stereo she only loves in stereo
I should know cause I've seen it before
I think I gotta let her go, she only loves in stereo
Oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh
She fell in love with the radio
Wasn't really me, so I had to let her go
Just ask any DJ back in her hotel
She likes to get around
As much as she gets down
Her favorite colors be platinum and gold
She only loves in stereo, she only loves in stereo
I should know 'cause I've seen it before
I think I gotta let her go, she only loves in stereo
Oh oh, oh oh
She loves in stereo
Oh oh, oh oh
She loves in stereo
Oh oh, oh oh
She loves in stereo
Oh oh, oh oh
She loves in stereo
Oh, oh oh, oh oh!
The song Stereo by John Legend is about a woman named Melanie who is a fast love professional. She is crafty, bold, and beautiful, and when John locks eyes with her on stage, it feels magical. Melanie is attracted to John's melody and movement, and she thinks he's cool. They have a short love affair that is full of bright lights and big stages, but John knows that it can't go too far because Melanie only loves in stereo. She only falls in love with the music and the people who create it. John tries to hold on to her, even though he knows that she will continue to move from one DJ to the next.
Throughout the song, John is trying to come to terms with his feelings for Melanie. He describes how he sees her with other people and how he still wants her anyway. He knows that he has to let her go at some point because she only loves in stereo, meaning that she only falls in love with music and the people who make it. In the end, John decides to part ways with Melanie and describes how she fell in love with the radio instead of him.
Overall, Stereo is a song about a short-lived love affair that is doomed because one person only loves in stereo. John Legend sings about his attraction to Melanie and how he has to let her go because he knows that she only falls in love with music and the people who create it.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a fast love professional
Her experience with relationships is impressive and she knows how to make connections quickly
Crafty, bold and beautiful
She is smart, daring, and attractive
Stage right, locked eyes, I swear it's magical
They had a special moment where they both locked eyes and felt a connection on stage
Her name is Melanie, says she digs my melody
Her name is Melanie and she likes the music he creates and performs
Likes how I move, thinks I'm cool, that's what she says to me
Melanie is attracted to his style and charisma
Big stage, bright light, short love, long night
Performing on big stages with bright lights creates an intense and passionate romance, but it doesn't last long
Frequent flies through the skies to some stars
He travels frequently to perform for various audiences and Melanie follows him around like a groupie
I come back to town, she's hangin' around
When he returns to his hometown, Melanie is still hanging around him
But still feels so real but it can't go too far
The relationship feels genuine, but it can't progress and become long-lasting
Her favorite colors be platinum and gold!
This line is a reference to lyrics from the previous song on the album, indicating that Stereo is a continuation of that story
She only loves in stereo! she only loves in stereo!
Melanie is only interested in quick, shallow relationships like those heard on the radio
I should know 'cause I've seen it before
He has encountered women like Melanie in the past
I think I gotta let her go, she only loves in stereo!
He realizes that the relationship with Melanie will not be fulfilling and he needs to move on
Turn on the video, oh my goodness there she goes
Seeing a video of Melanie reminds him of their past relationship
Name dropping everyday, I still want her anyway
Even though Melanie is not loyal to him, he still desires her
Deja vu yeah we'll do it again, off to the next town
He is stuck in a cycle of repeating the same behavior, traveling from town to town with her
She's onto the next round
Melanie moves on to the next partner or fling
Let it go, we both know that its all gonna end oh
It's time to let go of this relationship because it's bound to come to an end
She fell in love with the radio
Melanie is in love with the idea of quick, shallow relationships she hears in popular music
Wasn't really me, so I had to let her go
He realizes that Melanie doesn't actually love him for who he is, so he needs to end the relationship
Just ask any DJ back in her hotel
Melanie is known among DJ's for her shallow, radio-like relationships
She likes to get around
Melanie enjoys dating multiple people casually and not committing to anyone
She loves in stereo
Repeating the chorus emphasizes that Melanie only loves and values shallow, fleeting relationships that she hears often on the radio
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: THOMAS N CRASKEY, DEVON L. HARRIS, JOHN N STEPHENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vianneli92
Who's here after John Legend posted their lovestory in IG for Valentine's day? Me!
@tugibreezy
gonna go for all of me next
@maredes1736
Lol me! Just finished watching it!
@iAmMadeOfSoup
Me
@fabianaribas5429
me
@dance4lyfe55
Me 🙋🏽♀️
@mkelly534
Chrissy says they filmed this for 12 hours and then she stopped by his hotel that night to "say goodbye" Looks like it worked out well for both of them
@francisrivas9497
Michael Kelly 12 hours of foreplay lol
@kattyzacarias
Then he tried to break it off with her twice, and she refused. So I don’t know if he was forced into it
@crystala7x182
Katty Z. How do you know this?