John Legend - A Legendary Christmas [Deluxe Edition]

John Legend has always had one foot in classic soul, so a Christmas album was almost inevitable. A Legendary Christmas, first released in 2018 and produced by Raphael Saadiq, delivers exactly what you would hope for: vintage Motown and Stax warmth, real horns and strings, and one of the smoothest voices in modern R&B.

The album opens with a joyous "What Christmas Means to Me," featuring harmonica from Stevie Wonder, and moves through "This Christmas," "Silver Bells" and a playful "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with real swagger. Legend's own songs fit right in alongside them: "Bring Me Love" and "Christmas in New Orleans" have the feel of long-lost standards, and "No Place Like Home" brings a reflective close to the original album.

The Deluxe Edition expands the record with additional songs, including "Merry Christmas Baby / Give Love on Christmas Day," "Purple Snowflakes," "Wrap Me Up in Your Love" and "Waiting for Christmas," making it the most complete version of a holiday record that has become a modern soul staple.

This Columbia Deluxe Edition spreads eighteen tracks across two LPs in a gatefold jacket.