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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Once Again
by John Legend


7.8

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 22 votes
Read user comments
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Official Artist Site

The Grammy-winning neo-soul singer's follow-up to 'Get Lifted' was produced by Kanye West, will.i.am and Raphael Saadiq.

LABEL:	Sony
RELEASE DATE:	24 October 2006
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	R&B, Soul

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Amazon.com

Don't expect a derivative mash of smudgy, nostalgia-filching sounds, though, because despite its retro leanings, what's in store somehow crackles with currency.

Dot Music

Frequently staggering.

Paste Magazine

Legend has grown by leaps on this disc, delivering a richer sound and more adventurous experimentation. [Dec 2006, p.88]

Los Angeles Times

"Once Again" seems almost monotone on first impression, diminished by the middling tempos that weigh down many a ballad-driven album.... But peel back the layers of this suburban soul, and you'll find … more layers.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

While Once Again occasionally slips from understated to sleepy, there isn't a bum track on the album.

Blender

Once Again sets out to rebuild the dramatic storytelling and redemptive power of soul music on a hip-hop foundation.

The Guardian

What worked so profitably for him before also works now: his tunes are little Motown-ish symphonies, lit from within by his quiet-storm intensity, itself beholden to Smokey Robinson.

Spin

Like Lifted, Once Again offers a mesmerizing blend of canny sample science and Stevie Wonderful life-band R&B.; [Dec 2006, p.96]

Mojo

His most impressive skill is echoing the laid-back charm of Bill Withers and the melodic instincts of Stevie Wonder. [Dec 2006, p.104]

Q Magazine

It's soulful, not funky, and brims with spiritual joy. [Dec 2006, p.134]

Entertainment Weekly

Musically, the CD is satisfying enough to ensure further Grammy acclaim. Lyrically, it's damaged enough to require a top-flight couples therapist.

Billboard

A timeless, feel-good album that could easily slide into your papa's Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge collections, yet still sounds contemporary.

Observer Music Monthly

The 27-year-old has stepped up into territory that references his background in gospel and soul but avoids the more obvious nods to the past.

Hartford Courant

Soul music impeccably poised between past and future, anchored by a warm voice comfortingly similar to Bill Withers'.

Uncut

In short, Legend does for trad-soul what Oasis did for The Beatles. [Dec 2006, p.116]

Rolling Stone

[A] bigger, better follow-up.

Village Voice

There are a number of words to describe contemporary mainstream r&b;, but "elegant," "mature," "breezy," and "sophisticated" aren't usually among them. Luckily, they apply to John Legend's subtle follow-up to 2005's Grammy-winning, multiplatinum Get Lifted.

All Music Guide

While Once Again might not get as much attention as its predecessor, it's more assured and sounds nothing like an experiment to see what sticks.

Slant Magazine

Like its predecessor, Once Again's midsection bulges with excess MOR fat, but unlike Legend's debut, the album doesn't resurrect itself by the end.

NOW Magazine

Legend's lounge-track sentimentality often spills into schmaltzed-out Streisand-on-Broadway territory.

Prefix Magazine

The album's second half is still woefully lacking, one big mess of boredom and monotony.

Vibe

Frustratingly uneven. [Dec 2006, p.165]

The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 22 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Brooke C gave it a9:
I lOVE this album better than the first! I think that he is really showing his diversity. My favorite is Another Again... but I wish I was Melanie in Stereo!

Reuben F gave it an8:
This guy is very talented. Unfortunately for him, his music is a little too adult contemporary jazz to be cool, but hopefully if he keeps on producing music of quality like on this album and Get Lifted, that won't matter and he will eventually get the popularity he deserves. I also like Common and Kayne West, who he has collaborated with. He needs perhaps to get a little more funk, and a little less jazz, into his sound.

Randy K gave it a9:
This is better than "Get Lifted." It's new, it's fresh and it doesn't pander to the same syrupy sensibility that the majority of male "R&B;" do. This is why it's distinct and will probably go down as one of his career bests.

alguna c gave it a10:
The new album sounds totally different, yet it's still some of the best music out there. Once Again is a great CD. It shows his maturity in the music industry, which I believe is greatly needed.

Jordan D gave it a10:
A perfect mix of sophisticated R&B;/Soul with Pop. Deemed the new Marvin Gaye by many and justly so. Recommend PDA (We Just Dont Care) and Slow Dance.

Wayne F gave it a10:
One of the most satisfying albums I've ever heard. John perfectly blends old and new-school to create an album with a sound that manages to satisfy the motown-crowd as well as the younger generation, while also managing to not sound monotonous.

Vasya gave it an8:
too smooth to be real soul/R&B;, but perfect as popmusic

Once Again by John Legend

Once Again
by John Legend