John Legend Announces Sufjan Stevens–Produced Children’s Album, Shares Song: Listen

Sufjan Stevens has produced a new album of children’s music by John Legend, Associated Press reports. The unlikely duo came together at Legend’s behest when he conceived of the LP, which is due August 30. Stevens also contributes backing vocals, arrangements, and instrumental parts. Listen to a song from the record, “L-O-V-E,” below. That one features Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen, and their children too.

Asked by interviewer Maria Sherman about Stevens’ involvement, Legend told AP:

He’s singing a lot of backup, and he’s such a genius. I have been a fan of his for like 20 years. When I was writing these songs, my first thought of who I wanted to produce this was Sufjan, because I love how dreamy he can make music, and how whimsical, and how much character he has to everything that he makes. And I just felt like it would be the perfect energy for a children’s album: To blend my songwriting with his production and arranging and playing. You just hear his influence all over the album and I love it.

I was so happy he said yes because you never know if someone’s gonna want to make a children’s album with you, and we had never worked together. We had never even met before we started working on this.