A Legendary Christmas
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| A Legendary Christmas | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 2018 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 49:44 | |||
| Label | Columbia[1] | |||
| Producer | ||||
| John Legend chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Legendary Christmas | ||||
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A Legendary Christmas is the first Christmas album and seventh studio album by American singer John Legend, it was released on October 26, 2018.[3][4] Featuring artists such as Esperanza Spalding and Stevie Wonder, the album was promoted by a tour of the same name from November to December 2018.[5][6] It received a nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.[7]
The album is Legend's first holiday album, which he announced on October 1, 2018, via social media.[8][9] His tweet wrote "This winter, get ready for A Legendary Christmas! I have a brand new Christmas album coming out accompanied by #ALegendaryChristmas Tour!".[10][1] Prior to the album's announcement, Legend had just become the first African-American male to win an EGOT – an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.[11] Legend has previously said of his intention to create a Christmas album, he said "I just made a new Christmas album. I've wanted to do this for a long time." On October 11, 2018, Legend premiered two lead singles from the album, "Bring Me Love" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" simultaneously on VEVO.[12][13][14] The album was re-released on November 8, 2019 with four additional tracks.
Composition
Wonder features on the first song, "What Christmas Means to Me", in which he plays the harmonica, while Spalding sings on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".[1] Featuring fourteen songs, the album is composed of eight that are "Christmas classics" and six that are original tracks by Legend.[1] The album is executive-produced by neo-soul singer/producer Raphael Saadiq.[1][15] All string arrangements by Matt Jones, including "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" on the Super Deluxe Edition which featured an improvised solo by violinist Scott Tixier.[16]
Reception
Entertainment Weekly ranked the album 10th on its list of the "Best Christmas Albums of all Time", writing that Legend "bring his rich R&B roots to a holiday record" and prising the album features with Clarkson, Spalding, and Wonder.[17] In 2022 Billboard listed This Christmas Day as the 4th "Best Christmas Albums of the 21st Century".[18]
Commercial performance
In John Legend's home country of the United States, A Legendary Christmas debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 with 20,000 album-equivalent units, which included 19,000 pure album sales.[19] Eventually, the album rose to 22
Track listing
All tracks produced by Raphael Saadiq.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder) |
| 2:41 |
| 2. | "Silver Bells" | 3:16 | |
| 3. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding) | 3:43 | |
| 4. | "No Place Like Home" | 3:57 | |
| 5. | "Bring Me Love" | 3:19 | |
| 6. | "Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day" |
| 3:50 |
| 7. | "Christmas Time Is Here" | 3:20 | |
| 8. | "Waiting for Christmas" |
| 2:35 |
| 9. | "Purple Snowflakes" |
| 2:49 |
| 10. | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" | 4:15 | |
| 11. | "Please Come Home for Christmas" |
| 4:08 |
| 12. | "Wrap Me Up in Your Love" |
| 3:45 |
| 13. | "By Christmas Eve" |
| 3:51 |
| 14. | "Merry Merry Christmas" |
| 4:15 |
| Total length: | 49:44 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 15. | "O Come, All Ye Faithful" | 4:24 |
| 16. | "No Place Like Home" (acoustic demo) | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 58:09 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Christmas Means to Me" (featuring Stevie Wonder) |
| 2:41 |
| 2. | "Bring Me Love" | 3:19 | |
| 3. | "This Christmas" |
| 3:03 |
| 4. | "My Favorite Things" | Rodgers and Hammerstein | 2:54 |
| 5. | "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (featuring Kelly Clarkson) | Frank Loesser | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Christmas in New Orleans" |
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "Silver Bells" | 3:16 | |
| 8. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (featuring Esperanza Spalding) | 3:43 | |
| 9. | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" | 3:30 | |
| 10. | "No Place Like Home" |
| 3:57 |
| 11. | "Merry Christmas Baby/Give Love on Christmas Day" |
| 3:50 |
| 12. | "Christmas Time Is Here" | 3:20 | |
| 13. | "By Christmas Eve" |
| 3:51 |
| 14. | "Purple Snowflakes" |
| 2:49 |
| 15. | "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" | 4:15 | |
| 16. | "Please Come Home for Christmas" |
| 4:08 |
| 17. | "Wrap Me Up in Your Love" |
| 3:45 |
| 18. | "Waiting for Christmas" |
| 2:35 |
| 19. | "Merry Merry Christmas" |
| 4:15 |
| 20. | "O Come, All Ye Faithful" |
| 4:24 |
| 21. | "No Place Like Home (Acoustic Demo)" |
| 3:53 |
| 22. | "Give Love on Christmas Day (Piano Version) [Recorded Live at Spotify Studios NYC]" |
| 3:45 |
| 23. | "Let It Snow" | 2:00 | |
| 24. | "O Holy Night" |
| 3:21 |
| 25. | "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child" |
| 2:49 |
| 26. | "Winter Wonderland" | 1:52 | |
| 27. | "It Don't Have to Change" (featuring The Stephens Family) |
| 3:23 |
| 28. | "What a Wonderful World" | 2:16 | |
| Total length: | 94:25 | ||
Notes
- "Baby, It's Cold Outside" contains additional writing by John Legend and Natasha Rothwell.[25]
