Musical Juxtaposition

I've had the John Legend CD, Let's Get Lifted, for a few months and it has been in fairly heavy rotation in my car during that time. Well, actually it's been in fairly heavy rotation when I'm driving by my self because I might end up singing along, and I don't want to inflict that on any passengers. I love this album and think that John Legend is remarkably talented, but there are some things that bother me about it.

He sings an inordinate number of songs about cheating. There is "Alright," a song about picking up a girl at a club, while her man is there with her, followed by a song titled "She Don't Have to Know", which is obviously about carrying on a relationship behind the back of one's significant other. The next song is the absurd but irresistible "Number One" in which he tries to convince his girlfriend that, despite the fact that he has been cheating, she is still his number one. The refrain of the song says "You know that I love you, There's no one above you, I said it the last time, But this is the last time, Don't make me over, 'Cause I can be faithful, Baby you're my number one" which is certainly reassuring to the girl who has been repeatedly cheated on, but certainly nowhere near as reassuring as the first verse which begins "You can't say I don't love you, Just because I cheat on you, 'Cause you don't see all I do, To keep you from knowing the things I do." Yes, I'm sure she feels so much better about the whole thing now. After all, you've shown your love by doing your best to keep her from knowing you aren't faithful.

So after a song about no longer loving a woman who is cares only about material things and three songs about cheating, we come to "Stay With You", which is probably my favorite track. As the name implies, the song is about a relationship he wants to last forever. The simplicity of the track, the melody and the lyrics work wonderfully together. I just have a hard time listening to him say "Through the end of all time, I will stay with you" after hearing many of the other songs on the album. Is this just me being obsessive again, or do other people evaluate CDs like this? I'm guessing the former.

Juxtaposition aside, the album is highly enjoyable and I would not hesitate to recommend it, especially not to anyone looking for a new direction on R&B.

Until later...