"Preach" by John Legend: Reviewed.

Written by Afia Asamoah Edited by Alina Serbina

While scrolling through YouTube Music, I briefly saw that John Legend had dropped his new song “Preach” along with a music video. However, I wasn’t looking for new music then, so I continued to scroll along. A few weeks later, a friend of mine was talking about how much the video moved her, and that it tackled important issues like racial profiling and gun violence. So I decided to take a look at it.

I was not disappointed. The music video starts with the singer and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, asleep in bed. He’s wide awake and hears voices, so he gets out and goes to a door. The door takes him into a gymnasium where a student runs past him slowly. The music video alternates between three scenarios: A border patrol officer separating a little girl from seemingly her older brother, and the brother detained at the gate; a black boy pulled over during a routine traffic stop that gets shot and killed in the process; and a white boy who takes a high-caliber gun into a school and shoots and kills the students inside. There are takes with Legend singing his heart out, in front of a cop car with traffic lights, as well as protesting with others before guarded police officers.

"My" favorite aspect of the video was how the song juxtaposition between the scenarios unfolding and his words of helplessness and uncertainty. The song itself talks about how he sees all these bad things repeatedly happening around him, and he doesn’t - or can’t - do anything about it. Some of my favorite lines are “Heaven knows I’m not helpless/but what can I do?/I can’t see the use in me crying/If I’m not even trying to make the change I wanna see/” It spoke to me as a listener who agrees with his views.

I am aware of growing racial profiling and gun violence in our country and that it is a serious problem, however, sighs while reading the news or watching it unfold on TV will not make the situation better. “Get home every evening/and history’s repeating/turning off my phone cuz it’s hurting my chest.” It tugs at the heartstrings and gives a narrative story on hot button topics of today, while showing uncertainty, numbness, as well determination to do something other than what is happening currently. I also appreciate that it’s not a song about money or sex, It isn't something we find often in pop culture. I will say this: if you are not a fan of controversy or are not willing to acknowledge it (or deny that it is a problem), this song is not for you, because you’ll probably roll your eyes at it. But for those with compassion and those who want to educate themselves and make a difference, this song will resonate with you. It made a lasting impact on me, so I highly recommend it. Preach by John Legend gets the Afia Asamoah approval.

"Preach" by John Legend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0r1AJMK79g