John Legend, O2 Arena

You may have caught an appearance by US singer-songwriter John Legend on X Factor recently (but on the other hand, you might not have...), but this is just the tip of the iceberg for a man who is only just beginning to make an imprint on the public consciousness on this side of the pond – something of a surprise considering the list of luminaries he has worked with already in his ten year career includes Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, Dilated Peoples, Slum Village, will.i.am and Kanye West.
Back in the States, Legend has been in the public eye since his Grammy-winning 2004 debut on Yeezy's GOOD Music imprint, Get Lifted, managed six figure sales in its first week. Since then he has gone on to win eight more Grammys, collaborate with neo-soul originators The Roots on 2010's Wake Up!, provide backing for Kanye, and feature on cuts by Mary J. Blige, The Black Eyed Peas, MSTRKRFT, Sly & The Family Stone and many more, becoming one of the States' most sought after collaborators.
The name was given to him on account of his 'old-school sound' ('just like the legends', said J. Ivy, the Illinois poet and rapper and another Yeezus affiliate), and its this sound that he continued to exemplify on last year's Love in the Future, nominated for Best R&B Album at this year's Grammys. Another stellar list of collaborators and producers (from Kimbra to Q-Tip to Seal to the omnipresent Pharrell) makes for a consistently excellent record, and you can expect to hear plenty from it at the O2 next summer, as Legend brings his soaring neo-soul to London in the midst of his first major European arena tour. Expect great things on a grand scale from an authentic soul legend-in-the-making!