John Legend and The Roots Set 'Wake Up!' Release Date

John Legend has announced a September 21 release date for his covers album Wake Up! The collaborative effort with The Roots contains soulful music from the ’60s and ’70s with an underlying theme of awareness, engagement, and consciousness.

Inspired by Barack Obama’s election, the disc represents change, hope, and activism, and includes familiar songs such as Marvin Gaye’s “Wholly Holy,” Donny Hathaway’s “Little Ghetto Boy,” Mike James Kirkland’s “Hang on in There,” and the first single “Wake Up Everybody,” featuring Melanie Fiona and Common.

Watch the Grammy winner jam with The Roots on Baby Huey’s “Hard Times” and learn more about the project below.