Clay Enos for AOL Music

Bearing witness to the production surrounding singer-songwriter and producer John Legend's Sessions performance last month, you can't help but marvel at the success of the Grammy-winning crooner, who burst on the scene with his debut album, Get Lifted, just four years ago. Now, Legend has recently his third studio album, Evolver.

Just a few years after Legend's critically-acclaimed debut, the singer finds himself in a very comfortable position. He's confident in his ability to deliver the best of what his fanbase loves: romantic, piano-laced ballads, and a little of the unexpected -- i.e. Greenlight, the first single off Evolver. Outkast's Andre 3000 joins the singer on the dance track and teases the 'Ordinary People' pianist. "Sometimes you gotta step from behind that piano and let 'em know what's going on. Even Stevie Wonder got down sometimes," Dre jokes at the end of the song.

Legend doesn't disappoint and makes sure to step from behind the piano while in our New York studio. But don't fret -- he stays true to form and sits at the keys for the slower Evolver tunes like Good Morning and Everybody Knows.

Full interview

AOL: How is Evolver a departure from your previous albums?

JL: The new album is different -- different sounds, different styles. But I think people that are familiar with me will still find things that they're familiar with, but hopefully they won't expect me to stay the same. I'm always experimenting and trying new things as an artist, and I think this album reflects that.

AOL: Andre 3000 commented on you stepping away from the piano on the new song Green Light. You look comfortable dancing in the video. Will we see more of this side of you?

JL: Well, if you go to the shows, I'm only on the piano half the show. It never was a thing where I was always at the piano. I think because my biggest hit was Ordinary People, people just associate me with sitting down at the piano, but I was always getting up and interacting with the crowd. If people come to the show, they'll understand there's more to my performance than, you know, doing the Ordinary People thing.

AOL: If you had to pick one of your ballads for an intimate moment, which one would you choose?

JL: Good Morning is a good one. It's from the new album and it's a very sexy song. If you're gonna use one, that would likely get you to your goal.

AOL: Where do you get the inspiration for writing romantic songs?

JL: I just write about human emotion. I write about the way people interact in relationships, and I feel I have a good understanding of that from my own personal experience. Also, just listening to other people's stories and trying to write songs that are stories that people can relate to.

AOL: Does it ever help to be single or is it easier to be in a relationship?

JL: Sometimes I get relationship material from my own personal relationships, but sometimes I'll write some of my best love songs when I'm single. I think it works either way.

AOL: In a previous interview, you mentioned being more comfortable with others writing material for your albums instead of you being the sole writer. That lead to Ne-Yo writing a song for your new album. Can you elaborate on that?

JL: People send me songs a lot of times and I'll just say "Nah, I just wanna write all my own songs." And every once in a while somebody will send you something really good, Ne-Yo is one of my favorite writers right now, and he sent me something I really liked for the album so I put it on there. The only reason one wouldn't put a song that they really liked on the album that they didn't write is just out of pride or, maybe trying to just keep all their publishing. But I feel like the most important thing is making the album as good as possible. And if you have as song that someone else wrote that is gonna help make the album great, then I say use it.

AOL: What inspired you to launch a record label?

JL: I really wouldn't have started the label if I didn't feel excited about Estelle. She is the first person I signed and I really set up the label as an entity to start working with her. Estelle is just really talented and I felt like I could help her succeed. She wasn't getting the help she needed. I believed that she was a star and that she would make hit records, and we've done that.

AOL: You just released your third album but I remember when you were backing Kanye West and Common. Do you ever look back and think "Wow, this all happened pretty fast"?

JL: I don't think it happened fast, but it's blown up fast over the last ... my first album came out at the end of 2004, and it's not even the end of 2008 yet. So it's been less than four years and things have really grown really fast in that time. A lot of it happened even in the first year when Ordinary People came out, and the success of my first album Get Lifted. But I put in a lot of work before that, playing with other people and trying to get a record deal. It was about six years from when I started to when I actually got a record deal. I felt like it was my time when it happened. In fact, I wanted it to happen a few years earlier. But once it happened, it all kind of snowballed.

AOL: Most artists have to work their way up the ladder without the help of established or other up-and-coming artists. How did being with them help you with your career?

JL: I was able to tour with Kanye for over a year, and you really get to see everything about the business when you're touring like that because when all the decisions were being made, I was around for them. All the shows, all the different TV appearances that he did, a lot of the interviews and radio stuff he did, I was there. It was just good preparation for me. It was like an apprenticeship of sorts, where I got to learn first-hand what was going to happen in my career, and it made me take it in stride more.

AOL: Do you ever get tired being the focus?

JL: No, I love it [laughs]. I love the attention. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love the attention.

AOL: You had the opportunity to work with Bernie Mack and Isaac Hayes before they passed. Can you talk about the experience of that project?

JL: Well, I didn't actually shoot at the same time that Isaac was there -- I shot with Bernie and Sam Jackson. I had met Bernie a couple of times before. We did an event together at the Apollo [Theater] raising money for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. I just loved Bernie. He was really just a fun person to be around. He's one of our best comedians and he also had a personality where he just took over the room when he walked in. He was kind to everybody no matter if they were famous or not. Whenever he talked to me about my music, he really got in to detail. You could tell he was really somebody who paid attention and was listening, and when he made compliments to me, it was really sincere. He was a family man. I met his wife and his daughter, and they were all just beautiful people. I feel very sad that they lost Bernie. The whole entertainment world is sad because we lost somebody great.

AOL: If you could emulate one person's career whom you admire, who would that person be?

JL: I probably wouldn't take just one person. There are elements about different artists that I really admire and respect. I feel like Marvin Gaye -- the kinds of songs he wrote, the impact he had, his whole style, his whole aura -- it's something that I look up to. Stevie Wonder -- as a songwriter, as a producer, as a singer and just all-around important musician for decades now -- he's somebody I would want to emulate. Even Kanye, whom I've worked with. I feel like as a creative person -- as somebody who pushes the envelope and keeps the art first -- he's somebody I look up to.

AOL: Why are so many artists, specifically R&B and hip-hop artists, placing their support behind Barack Obama?

JL: A lot of young people in general, not just R&B and hip-hop artists, feel like this is the first candidate that really represents us, who understands us and is really focused on the future. He's inspiring ... he communicates in a way we really connect to. And that's why so many young people are flocking to the candidacy -- they're so inspired. That's why they're volunteering, that's why they're voting in numbers that they haven't done before. It's a pretty exciting time. People really realize that it's a time for change, and there's a sense of urgency that our environmental issues are not going to go away, our energy crisis is not going to go away, the war in Iraq is not going to go away, the economic troubles are not going to go away. We need to elect a leader who's going to really work to solve these issues and be bold with solutions. But particularly, young people are responding to the message that Barack has because they feel like he gets it.

AOL: If there is one thing that you want your fans to know about you, would would that one thing be?

JL: There's not really one thing. I've done a lot of interviews so I feel like they know a lot about me already. I'm just somebody who loves making music and I truly enjoy what I do. I'm happy and really blessed to be in the position that I am -- to make music that people connect to, emotionally respond to and music that's making an impact in the world. It feels good.