John Legend is gearing up for the end of his first Las Vegas residency, Love In Las Vegas. As his final show on Oct. 29 approaches, the crooner declared this to be “a great mid-career thing” for him.
“You have enough of a repertoire to sustain a residency, but you’re definitely not retiring,” Legend, 43, explained to Billboard. “There’s so much ahead of us. It’s a good time to look back and celebrate, but to show people what’s next as well. Mostly, I just want to be proud of the work we do onstage; are we creating a beautiful experience for people, are we making them feel connected and loved? We wanted it to be truly uplifting and celebratory. I think we were certainly able to do that.”
His creative director, Rob English, added, “To be honest, this was not about anything else. It was not something he had to do; it wasn’t a vehicle to promote the new album necessarily. Going into it, it was just a way to create an important part of John’s legacy. Doing a Vegas residency was something he’d always dreamed to do. It was a benchmark life achievement moment.”
The residency was first announced in December 2021 and was considered a loose reflection of Legend’s entire life with a “very Black ‘70s Vegas theme.” Inspired by Usher, Silk Sonic, and Gwen Stefani’s residencies, the devoted husband and father shared, “All of them are wonderful. And my show is not like any of their shows. You see things you’d never do yourself, because it’s not you, but you love it for them. And it’s just fun to see other people’s take.”
He continued, “We wanted to tell my story […] I think it starts from knowing who you are as an artist, basing it in who you are, the music you’ve created, your story and what makes you unique. Part of what’s cool about a Vegas residency is that it’s a chance to look back and celebrate all the stories in your life that brought you where you are.”
His team hinted that this residency is the first of many “different iterations in the coming years” for the EGOT winner.
Stream his latest album, LEGEND, featuring Jazmine Sullivan, Muni Long, Saweetie, Rapsody, and more below.