John Legend explores the paradoxes of our country in his latest song In America. It's featured on the WGN series Underground, on which Legend is a producer. On the track he belts out, “In America, in America / I still can’t breathe in America," alluding to the death of Eric Garner. “Watch them squeezing my neck / Watch them bullets connect / We still gonna fight in America.”
In regards to the song's creation and its connection to the show, Legend said in a statement: “‘It’s a song I was writing while thinking about the duality of America, where it’s known to be this place of freedom, equality and where anyone can make it. The song points out the tension between the promise of America, the ideals of America, and sometimes us not living up to those ideals in practice. ‘In America’ was perfect song for Underground, a series I’m incredibly proud to be a part of, and one that does a beautiful job of portraying a challenging time in our nation’s history while reminding us that change is possible.”
Check out a portion of "In America" featured in the Underground clip below.
Photo: Getty Images