Honestly, it’s been over a decade since John Legend dropped "Made to Love," and the song still feels like it’s from the future. Most people jump straight to "All of Me" when they think of his 2013 album Love in the Future. I get it. That song was everywhere. But "Made to Love" was the weird, percussion-heavy, soulful experiment that actually proved Legend wasn't just a "guy at a piano." It was daring.
What Really Happened With John Legend We Were Made to Love
When the single first hit the airwaves in June 2013, it caught a lot of fans off guard. This wasn't the "Ordinary People" vibe they expected. It was gritty. It had this pounding, tribal drum beat that felt more like a heartbeat than a radio hit.
The track was a collaborative monster. Kanye West co-produced it alongside Dave Tozer and Nana Kwabena, and you can definitely hear that G.O.O.D. Music influence in the jagged edges of the production. Legend has always been a master of the classic soul ballad, but here, he was leaning into something electronic and industrial. It was basically a love song wrapped in a machine.
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The Mystery of the Guest Vocals
You might have noticed a haunting, airy voice echoing Legend's lines in the background. That’s actually New Zealand singer Kimbra. She wasn't officially credited as a featured artist in the title, which I always thought was a bit of a crime. Her "scatting" and wailing provide this ethereal layer that contrasts perfectly with the heavy claps and strings. It makes the whole thing feel like a spiritual ritual.
The song also heavily samples "I Need You Now" by Chicago house legend Lil' Louis. That’s why it has that relentless, driving energy. It’s a bridge between 80s house music and modern R&B. Legend wasn't just singing about romance; he was celebrating the primal, "made to love" architecture of human connection.
Why the Music Video Caused a Stir
The visuals for John Legend we were made to love were just as experimental as the sound. Directed by Daniel Sannwald, the video featured a lot of high-fashion, abstract imagery. You’ve got intertwined bodies, flickering lights, and a lot of body paint.
- The Concept: It was meant to represent the idea of two souls becoming one.
- The Tech: They actually did a time-lapse capture of Legend’s head to create special effects for the sequence.
- The Controversy: Some people found the stark, almost alien aesthetic a bit too "cold" for a love song, but it fit the "futuristic soul" theme Legend was going for perfectly.
The Lyrics: More Than Just a Sappy Ballad
If you listen closely to the lyrics, there's a certain weight to them. "I was never sure of God before / But I know he must exist / He created this." That’s a bold claim.
It moves away from the "I'm sorry I messed up" tropes of R&B and steps into a space of absolute destiny. It’s about the feeling that you were literally manufactured for another person. Some critics at the time thought it was a bit repetitive. But that’s the point. The repetition of "we were made to love" acts like a mantra. It builds and builds until the strings take over and the song explodes into this orchestral chaos.
Behind the Scenes of Love in the Future
Legend has gone on record saying this album was a turning point. Working with Kanye West as an executive producer pushed him to take risks. Legend was 34 at the time, and he wanted to prove he could still innovate.
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While "All of Me" eventually became the wedding song of the century, "Made to Love" was the critical darling. It showed that Legend had "busker's lung capacity," as some reviewers put it. He could belt over a heavy electronic beat just as easily as he could over a Steinway.
Live Performances That Stood Out
If you ever get the chance to watch the Live on Letterman version of this song, do it. It’s transformative. Without the studio polish, the raw power of his voice against those live drums is incredible. He also did a stripped-down version for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert which is basically the opposite of the studio version.
Seeing him perform it at the Kennedy Center or the Ziggo Dome in 2014 showed that the song had legs beyond just being a radio single. It’s a "performer’s song." It allows for a lot of vocal improvisation that you just don't get with his more structured pop hits.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Artists
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of John Legend's career, or if you're a songwriter looking for inspiration, here’s how to approach it:
- Study the Sampling: Look up Lil' Louis's "I Need You Now" to see how Dave Tozer and Kanye West flipped a house track into a soul anthem.
- Check the Credits: Don't just listen to the main vocal. Pay attention to Kimbra’s work in the background; it’s a masterclass in using "voice as an instrument."
- Explore the "Love in the Future" Expanded Edition: There are remixes by Benny Benassi and Friend Within that take "Made to Love" back to the dance floor where its samples originated.
- Contrast the Versions: Compare the official music video with the Tiny Desk performance. It’s a great way to see how a song can be "dressed up" or "dressed down" without losing its soul.
"Made to Love" might not be the first song people mention when they talk about John Legend today, but it remains one of his most artistically significant. It was the moment he stopped playing it safe and started defining what modern soul could actually sound like.