Legendary love affair

SUPERSTAR singer-songwriter John Legend was not shy about sharing the love during his stop in Malaysia for his Darkness and Light Tour.
Born John Roger Stephens, the 39-year-old crooner serenaded fans in Resorts World Genting's Arena of Stars, heating up the chilly night with hits from his 2016 album, like Surefire, Love Me Now, and Overload.
Before launching into Overload, the singer told the crowd that the song is one of his favourites. Co-written and performed with Miguel, it is about how society's need to stay connected virtually is interfering with actual human interaction.
"Sometimes, we [have] a deeper relationship with our phones than with our loved one," he said. "We get so obsessed with likes, we forget about love … [but] we're going to focus on love tonight!"
And before he sang Like I'm Gonna Lose You, he reminded fans that life's uncertainties often lead to words left unspoken.
He urged those in the packed amphitheatre who were there with somebody they loved, to turn to them and say the three meaningful but underused words: "I love you."
As for concert-goers who were there solo, Legend volunteered to be on the receiving end of their kind words, creating a frenzy of fans professing their love.
He shouted out: "We got to take a moment to say it sometimes, express it sometimes. Tomorrow's not promised to anybody.
"Let's love each other like we're gonna lose each other."
By the midway point of the show, Legend was sweating profusely, a testament to his energetic performance and dedication to his craft, before slowing down for the sultry Slow Dance.

"But I'm up here slow dancing all by myself though," Legend unexpectedly said. "I need somebody who wants to dance with me, just one lady, one of Malaysia's finest."
From a sea of adoring John Legend fans, he picked lucky Sophie Kamaruddin to join him onstage for a dance, a selfie, and to help him remove his gold patterned coat.
In an Instagram post after the concert, Sophie shared the selfie and videos of the once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the singer, along with a caption that read: "Slow Dance is my new favourite tune."
Besides singing past hits and songs from his latest album, Legend also performed a cover of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, in honour of his daughter Luna Simone's birth in 2016.
He regaled the crowd with the story, calling his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, "the real MVP" in the delivery room, with her mother and sister also present.
"I was the most useless one in the room," he quipped.
Legend recalled playing music on his laptop, starting with mellower songs to "keep things calm", but as her contractions became more frequent, Teigen asked for songs with a speedier tempo.
"So, I sped it up. I took out my party playlist. A little Jay-Z, a little Beyonce. She likes Love on Top a lot, we played it, like, five times. We played some old school too, as we kept the groove going.
"Then finally, 4pm, my daughter, Luna, comes out to the world. I'll never forget the song [Superfly] that was playing at that moment."
Legend's family plays a prominent role in his music, with his wife and child appearing in videos serving as a backdrop for his backup singers and band, like when he sang You & I, that night.
His rendition of his 2008 song, Green Light, encouraged several ladies to get up and dance, with the singer himself hopping onto the piano and singing without missing a beat.
After a vocally-charged So High, he gave a shout out to his band and backup singers, and thanks the crowd, indicating the end of the concert.
Of course, this was all a tease. Even though he sang favourites like Beauty and the Beast, and Lay Me Down, the one song that was on everybody's mind had yet to be heard.
The arena fell unusually silent as Legend sat back at the piano. Once the familiar opening of All of Me started playing, the entire crowd sang along to the popular love song, aglow with happiness.
Ending the setlist of that eventful night was Glory, a song Legend sang for the soundtrack of the 2014 civil rights movie Selma, as the stage's LED backdrop showd scenes from the movie.
Legend seemed like he truly enjoys what he does, and because of that, it's safe to say that every single concert-goer went home giddy with love that night.