John Legend and Pharrell have been friends for over two decades, and they’re gearing up for their first collab album with Skateboard P producing the entirety of Legend’s upcoming Muse LP, which will be released on Oct. 23 via Republic Records.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
The duo teamed up to release the second single from the project as “Fireflies” arrived on Friday (Sept. 25). For the classy music video, Legend hops behind his Yamaha piano to perform the ethereal track with some help from the Hollywood Cinematic Orchestra, who are suited and booted.
The seamless white backdrop is reminiscent of the visual from John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” which originally served as a single for his 2004 Get Lifted album.
The will.i.am-assisted ballad peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for best male vocal R&B performance, while receiving nominations in the song of the year and best R&B song categories.
In a similar vein, “Fireflies” finds Legend singing about turning hardship to hope while navigating the turbulence and hurdles life has thrown his way.
“Pharrell’s idea from the beginning was that we would create something with all of these classic, cinematic elements, this Black James Bond aesthetic,” Legend said in a statement. “But with a modern backbeat at its foundation. You can hear traces of me and traces of him, but it sounds like something new for the both of us. The combination of me and Pharrell, on paper, I think, is a good idea. And the execution is even better.”
“Fireflies” follows “Daylight,” which was the lead single for Legend’s Muse album. The project boasts 16 tracks in total and features an appearance from Clipse.
The Ohio native was set to perform at Global Citizen Festival on Saturday (Sept. 26) before the festival was canceled due to the inclement weather punishing the Northeast this weekend.
Watch the “Fireflies” video below.