Hey, John, we’re at the Google Hangout where you’ve just been asked questions by your budding musician fans. The presenter hailed you as “attractive”, “a superstar” and “a nine-times Grammy winner”. Which was the best compliment?
Oh, “attractive”, come on! No, it’s always cool to see young singers inspired by my work.
Don’t you see young pretenders and think “keep out of my way”?
Once you reach a certain level of success, you do see them as competition but it’s not a zero-sum game. You can have multiple winners. I worked with Miguel and Frank Ocean and they’re doing great in the same kind of space that I’m in.
Who is your ultimate soul icon?
Stevie [Wonder] is my favourite overall musician because he was producing and writing great original material for so long. Marvin [Gaye] is my favourite voice out of those people.
Unlike Gaye, you don’t seem tortured.
I sometimes wish I was a little more tortured. Maybe it would make me even more interesting as an artist.
What made you so untormented?
I don’t know. Everybody has their demons. I went through my parents’ divorce and there have been issues with my family, things that have been hard. But I have a very even temper. I just don’t have a lot of emotional extremes.
You don’t drink, you don’t smoke. What do you do?
I do drink and smoke — but not cigarettes [he laughs]. Not when I’m on tour, though. I’ve definitely had my moments under the influence. Not too many crazy, crazy benders.
You’ve got a stag do imminent. What’s planned?
I’ll let my guys figure it out. I have let them know that they have to keep in mind that I’m a public figure [he laughs] and it can’t be too much.
Was your fiancée jealous of you and the girl in the video for your single Who Do We Think We Are?
Well, you never really want to see your lover simulating love with someone else. I don’t know how actors’ spouses put up with this.
Was it uncomfortable the night you came home from the shoot?
Well, you know, she puts me in the doghouse sometimes … It’s not as though I did anything dishonest.
Did you sleep on the couch?
It’s always a challenge, put it that way.
Have you ever had sex to one of your own songs?
No. I don’t think I have. I feel like it’s too much narcissism. I don’t even like having sex to current artists that I’m friends with. I feel too close to them, I know them, I’ve had conversations with these people … so I keep it old school with my sex stuff.
On your new album, Love in the Future, you sing: “I know I misbehaved.” When did you last cheat?
I’m done with that. That phase of my life is over.
You studied African-American literature at university. When was the last time you put your studies to use?
Occasionally I’ll engage in Twitter conversations. I remember somebody comparing million-dollar athletes under contract to slaves and, I thought, we’re a little too loose with that term when you compare what athletes go through and what slaves went through, with overseers whipping your ass.
Are you chastising Prince?
I’m not chastising Prince, I’m chastising the idea of cheapening that term.
Finally, why John Legend? Was John Icon too show-offy?
That’s funny. “Legend” was organic, the way it started. It wasn’t just me in a marketing room thinking of which braggadocious name I was going to tick for myself. It was a nickname my friends called me and it morphed into a stage name. I would have been perfectly happy coming out as John Stephens?. But it helped announce my arrival. Then it became my job to live up to it. — Guardian News & Media 2013