Last Friday, John Legend released “Preach”, a powerful new single calling for action to impart social change instead of just talking about it. This morning, he brought that message to Ellen with a performance of the track.
The youngest-ever EGOT winner started out alone at his piano as the song began. As it crescendoed into the first chorus, the stage lights came on to reveal his band and backup singers. Legend then picked up his mic and walked forward to plead directly with the crowd as black-and-white video of protests throughout history displayed behind him.
Check out the replay below.
The official music video for “Preach” utilizes YouTube’s new built-in fundraising platform to raise money for Legend’s FREEAMERICA campaign, which seeks to “amplify the conversation about mass incarceration at the local, state, and national levels.” For more information or to donate directly, head to FREEAMERICA’s website.
Legend released his first Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas, last year. You can find that effort and the rest of Legend’s catalog on vinyl over at ReverbLP.
