John Legend’s new track ‘Actions’ is a brilliant, intricate and catchy tune that makes the most of Legend’s distinguished talents.

The forty-one-year-old has been wowing us with his raw, versatile abilities for over two decades now and this latest single is no exception. From the get-go, it’s clear that the composition is going to explore a vast variety of classic throwback sounds, including the likes of jazz, blues, R&B. The orchestral and percussive elements of the song provide emphatic support with their powerful, deep sound, which manages to hit the mark but also not overpower Legend’s vocals. 

As we get closer to the chorus, listeners will be able to detect some wonderful gospel vocals flowing in the background, establishing a supportive atmosphere within the melody. What remains as pristine as ever is John Legend’s silky-smooth vocals that capture the allure of the R&B genre to the tee. The most intriguing aspect of this song, in particular, is how it differs from Legend’s other love songs; it’s not set to a saccharine set of piano chords or making use of overblown melodies. It embraces the intrigue of classic jazz vibes by speeding up the rhythms in order to provide a more upbeat, decisive beat to the composition. What result is not a half-hearted attempt at conveying love but a more resonant, intimidating admission. John Legend himself says that ‘actions are louder than love songs’, implying that he knows that the traditional stylings of love songs can reach an impasse at some point. 

Currently, John Legend serves as a vocal coach on the hit show The Voice. Amidst the social distancing protocols, he has been serving up live concerts on his Instagram feeds to entertain his fans in isolation. He revealed that he’s been working on an album for the past eighteen months and he wants the new music to comfort his fans because everybody’s going to be stuck inside for a little while.

We were ready to put some new music out anyway, and if people want to be entertained while they’re stuck at home, we might as well put some new music out”

- John Legend

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.