John Legend Covers UPTOWN Magazine; Talks New Music, American Education & More [Photos]

John Legend’s new album, Love in the Future is due out September 3rd. Ahead of the release John Legend talks to UPTOWN about his music, being competitive, rumors surrounding him and his fiancé Chrissy Tiegen and his views on American education.

Check out a few excerpts:

UPTOWN: Your music never follows radio trends. Do you consciously take risks?

John Legend: Every time you put out a song you take a risk. There is no such thing as a safe record, particularly for artists like me who do not fit into any exact mode. “Who Do We Think We Are” (the first single from the new album), which is about not being afraid to reach the highest plateau, and “Made to Love,” the second single, do not sound like anything on the radio. I know what I do will always be different from what everyone else is doing. I am an eternal optimist and have never been the type of person to think that the best days are behind me. I always believe that the best days are ahead. I always think the next album is going to be better than the last. Maybe I will be wrong, but I feel like this new album is the best of my career.

U: Why the title, Love in the Future?

JL: Part of it is purely autobiographical. So, in the literal sense, I am beginning a new journey. I am getting married and starting a family, hopefully. It is about embracing that future with optimism and hope and knowing that it’s going to be an interesting journey. What is the place for this classic music in a modern world? At the core, I am a soul artist. But I am willing to push myself to redefine what soul music is supposed to sound like.

U: So, you and your fiancée, Chrissy, have been together for seven years and are getting married this year?

JL: We got engaged in 2011 and we are getting married later this year. I am looking forward to having kids and growing old together. That’s why we are doing it, because we intend to stay together forever. We have already been together for quite some time. It’s been great. I have learned a lot about myself, and hopefully we will continue to grow.

You can read the full story via UPTOWN.