John Legend shares inspiring message behind Grammy performance

Romar Fernando

April 7, 2022

• It was an honor to perform FREE tonight along with Lyuba Yakimchuk, Siuzanna Iglidan, Mika Newton, and our incredible choir. pic.twitter.com/7zYHep1mJG

  — John Legend (@johnlegend) April 4, 2022

  American singer-songwriter John Legend has shared the inspiring message behind his Grammy performance of his new song entitled ‘Free,’ April 4, Monday.

  Legend’s performance took place just right after an inspiring video of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. He was slowly joined by series of Ukrainian artists, including Odessa, Ukraine-born Siuzanna Iglidan, and Ukrainian singer Mika Newton.

  “‘FREE’ was inspired by the spirituals and hymns of my enslaved and oppressed African-American ancestors, who were inspired by the Old Testament story of Moses leading his people to liberation from slavery. Prayer… for peace throughout the world. A prayer for all the dispossessed and dislocated. The refugees of every nationality, religion and skin color, longing for a safe place to live and flourish. Those who are left aside and forgotten.” Legend explained.

  According to the singer, ‘Free’ was written as tribute t those who are unjustly admitted to jails and prisons.

  “I wrote FREE after a week of seeing the horrific images of the senseless, brutal invasion of Ukraine by a regime with no moral justification — no right to kill, dominate and subjugate the Ukrainian people, no right to silence the will of the people in a democratic nation,” he added.

   

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