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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.
In short
- John Legend and Pharrell Williams collaborated on *Muse*.
- Nina Simone was a major influence on the album.
- The music pairs classic jazz sounds with modern hip-hop drums.
Explained simply
Jazz grew out of Black American musical traditions and has taken many forms, from small improvising groups to large ensembles with brass and strings. Nina Simone was a singer, pianist and songwriter whose work crossed jazz, blues and other styles; she also used music to address the social and political issues of her time.
John Legend is a singer and pianist, while Pharrell Williams is a musician and producer. Their collaboration draws on the sound of big-band performers such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong, while pairing horns and strings with contemporary hip-hop-style rhythms.
The record’s references place it in a longer conversation about how musicians adapt earlier styles for new audiences. Simone’s example also connects musical choices with the times in which artists live and work.
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