Multi-platinum and 12-time Grammy Award winner John Legend announced today that he My favorite dreaman album of sing-alongs and lullabies for children and families, via Republic Records: Kids & Family on August 30th.
Produced by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens, the project features nine original tracks written by Legend. As part of a collaboration with Fisher-Price, the album also includes three bonus tracks featuring covers of songs by her beloved toys. In conjunction with the album announcement, Legend released the project’s first single, titled “LOVE.” The upbeat, upbeat anthem features his wife (Chrissy Teigen) and two eldest children (Luna and Miles Stephens) on backing vocals, and the single’s artwork was designed by Luna.
“I’m in the middle of fatherhood,” says Legend, father of daughter Luna (8), son Miles (6) and two toddlers, daughter Esti and son Wren. “My parents loved to sing around the house. They would make up lullabies and songs for us to motivate and inspire us. And Chrissy and I love singing to our kids too. We’re always making up little songs and hymns for them. In our house, music is very important to the way we interact and communicate with them.”
And that was the trigger My favorite dream. At his wife’s suggestion, Legend performed his own rendition of one of his babies’ favorite songs, “Maybe” – the hit single about a purple monkey in a gum tree from the award-winning Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano Gym. Teigen and Legend later shared a video of him serenading their daughter Esti at the family piano. The soulful moment inspired fans to encourage Legend to release an album of nursery rhymes and lullabies.
“When I started thinking about it, I decided to write a whole new children’s album,” remembers Legend. “I just saw it as a challenge to write some original lullabies and nursery rhymes to play to my children, something we can share with children and parents around the world.”
About the album’s first single “LOVE,” Legend said: “Love is the central theme in so many areas of my life, from family to music to philanthropy to everything I do in business,” he adds. “This song captures the spirit of what I always wanted for this album. I wrote it as an anthem to celebrate our common humanity and to bring a smile to people’s faces. I hope this song is uplifting and inspiring for everyone.”
