With ‘Muse,’ John Legend and Pharrell Williams revive the spirit of jazz: ‘We thought a lot about Nina Simone’

John Legend and Pharrell Williams have made *Muse*, Legend’s 11th album, drawing on jazz traditions and Nina Simone’s influence. Legend says Simone’s music and her belief that artists should reflect their times shaped conversations with Williams about the record.

Williams proposed making a full album together, and the pair began recording in Paris in January 2025. Several tracks draw on big-band figures including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong, combining horns and strings with modern hip-hop-style drums; saxophonist Terrace Martin arranged the brass on the title track with New Orleans marching bands in mind.