John Legend on Pharrell’s musical push, Jay-Z’s praise and new creative challenges with ‘Muse’

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jay-Z once told John Legend, “You’re our voice.” But Pharrell Williams had another idea for Legend’s signature baritone: Sometimes, let it do more talking than singing. On his new album, “Muse,” Legend dials back his powerhouse vocals on certain songs, adopting a more conversational delivery at Williams’ urging. It’s a departure for the EGOT winner, whose piano-driven ballads like “All of Me” and “Ordinary People” have helped define his career for more than two decades.

The 16-track project, out Friday, marks Legend’s first full album with Williams after more than 20 years of friendship. Recorded mostly at Williams’ studio inside Louis Vuitton’s Paris headquarters, it grew out of Legend’s appearance on Clipse’s “The Birds Don’t Sing,” which inspired Williams to build an album around his voice. In an interview with The Associated Press, Legend discussed Williams’ creative influence, Jay-Z’s memorable compliment and composing his first original stage score for “Imitation of Life,” a new musical opening at The Shed in New York in December.

Remarks have been edited for brevity and clarity. AP: You’ve achieved EGOT status and more than two decades of success. What do you still feel you have to prove?

LEGEND: I really want every project to be my best project. That means continuing to push myself, continuing to challenge myself and not resting on all the work I’ve done before. Working with Pharrell on an entire album was something new for me.

Just finding new creative avenues to continue to throw some more challenges into the mix and seeing what it inspires in my creativity. AP: Has the success of your piano ballads and songs like “All of Me” ever made you feel creatively boxed in? Honestly, I feel like my success has made me feel empowered.

It’s made me feel confident and trusting my voice, trusting my instincts. It’s allowed me to have relationships with record labels and other business partners where they trust my judgment and don’t over-micromanage me. … I think it allows me to operate from not being in a place of fear, but a place of confidence and willingness to try new things.