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Music Quotes by John Legend

50 Music quotes by John Legend

All Music quotes John Legend’s page

A church organ echoing in a hip‑hop beat shows how different sounds can blend. The quotes explain that making a great song matters more than featuring other artists or competing. They also say that hearing melodies all day and feeling spirituality in music are natural parts of life.

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Music, to me, if it's good, it's good. That's all that matters.

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Well, I like songs that have like a little bit of quirkiness to them.

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Musicians are in-season all the time.

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I don't feel like that many musicians are competitive with each other.

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To me, as a musician, there aren't any boundaries genre-wise as far as what can you listen to to inspire you.

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In the 1970s, for all the Stevie Wonders, I'm sure there were five artists that were making forgettable music.

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I've written good love songs when I have been in love and I've written good love songs when I haven't.

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I don't get to listen to music for fun very often; a lot of what I'm hearing is for work and isn't…

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Sometimes there's that perfect moment when the crowd, the music, the energy of the room come together in a way that brings…

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I feel like spirituality definitely comes through in my music, but I don't make any specific efforts to make it that way.

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Sometimes I start just on the piano with a melody or musical idea that kind of leads me to certain lyrics.

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People tell me all the time that my songs help them express things to loved ones that they may not be able…

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For me, no matter how much money you want to make off of singing, no matter what kind of fame you want…

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That's the evergreen nature of a great song. They can be resurrected. They can be covered. They can find new relevance due…

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Music business is not for everyone. But if you have it in you, you have that passion, if you have that energy…

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I just want my music to measure up to. Part of it's just thinking about my place in history and how this…

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The main focus for me is not trying to find duet partners. It's about just making great songs. I want most of…

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My mother, I want her to like my music, but she's not exactly my target audience. So I care more about the…

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When I write, I don't really focus on duets or anything like that, or whether I'm going to feature this or that…

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To have the chance to see your music be elevated and to have almost universally positive response to that music, makes me…

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I have a structured songwriting process. I start with the music and try to come up with musical ideas, then the melody,…

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“Can we wait just a minute Turn that TV off for a minute Now politics and talkin shit aint really none of…

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You have to be careful when it comes to copyrights, whether just sounding like or feeling like something is enough to say…

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My family is very musical, I was surrounded by it. And from four years old I was the one that asked my…

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I listen to all those kinds of music, from classic soul to hip-hop to Brazilian music to, you know, jazz to indie…

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I hear melodies and hooks all day. I've always been that way, since I was a kid.

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I've felt like my last name put pressure on me as an artist. If you're going to call yourself "Legend," you'd better…

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Hip-hop and R&B are especially fertile bases of collaboration. It always makes good records and good music.

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I'm trying to be me and embrace all the parts of me that have grown up, listened to more music and soaked…

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Music wasn't forced on me [in my childhood]. It was something I wanted to do. And ever since, I've never stopped, I've…

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I never went through a period where I didn't want to play music. I've always loved it and it's always been a…

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I only want to be associated with music that is high quality. That's my main criteria.

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We weren't allowed to have secular music in the house growing up. I was home-schooled, and gospel was the only choice we…

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At the end of the day, there's only a few major stars in the music business, and then there's all these people…

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It's really about making the best music you can make. It's really about working hard.

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I like songs that have like a little bit of quirkiness to them. What I like to do with songs, is kind…

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My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as…

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Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about and they just write a whole…

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Anybody under the age of forty knows hip-hop, gospel and R&B pretty well, and it's all a part of what we consider…

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“There's something in your heart And it's in your eyes It's the fire, inside you Let it burn You don't say, "Good…

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More by John Legend

Some people, you know, should just go to college and do what they do and have a great job and not worry about trying…

I guess a lot of times pressure is put on something after it becomes big.

The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education

My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…

I don't like going to football games. I like watching them on television. When you go to a game, it's hard to focus. There's…

There's a lot of hurry up and wait. But it gives you time to write a song.

Fear. People are afraid of talking about their fears and insecurities. They're afraid of expressing emotion beyond anger, dominance, or power, and they're afraid…

When I write, I don't really focus on duets or anything like that, or whether I'm going to feature this or that rapper. I…

I would tell myself, "Love yourself and don't be afraid to take risks." I was often afraid to take risks, socially, because I was…

I never went through a period where I didn't want to play music. I've always loved it and it's always been a huge part…

All men should be feminists. If men cared about women's rights, the world would be a better place

I used read about Dr. King a lot as a kid. Independently, from being assigned it or being told by my parents or anything,…

“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women…

Experience is a great teacher.

This ain't a movie no. No fairy tale conclusion ya'll.