D'Angelo

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Episode three covers D'Angelo's triumphant return with "Black Messiah," released without warning on December fifteenth, two thousand fourteen amid Ferguson protests and Black Lives Matter's rise. The politically urgent album debuted at number five, won Best RnB Album at the Grammys, and proved his genius remained intact after fourteen years. D'Angelo toured extensively with The Vanguard, delivering legendary three-hour performances. He collaborated with Jay-Z in twenty twenty-four and was reportedly working on new music with Raphael Saadiq. After canceling a June twenty twenty-five performance due to surgery complications, D'Angelo passed away on October fourteenth from pancreatic cancer at fifty-one. His three albums—Brown Sugar, Voodoo, and Black Messiah—cemented his legacy as one of music's most influential and uncompromising artists.Click here to browse handpicked Amazon finds inspired by this podcast series!https://amzn.to/42YoQGIThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode two explores the creation of "Voodoo," the album D'Angelo spent three years perfecting at Electric Lady Studios with Questlove. Released in January two thousand, it debuted at number one with its revolutionary behind-the-beat groove and organic sound. The "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" video made D'Angelo a massive sex symbol, but audiences objectified him during performances, devastating the artist who saw music as sacred ministry. This trauma led to alcoholism, weight gain, and a fourteen-year retreat from music. Between two thousand and two thousand fourteen, D'Angelo struggled with the burden of Black genius, perfectionism, and identity, making only occasional appearances while fans wondered if he would ever return to recording.Click here to browse handpicked Amazon finds inspired by this podcast series!https://amzn.to/42YoQGIThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode one chronicles D'Angelo's journey from his birth on February eleventh, nineteen seventy-four in Richmond, Virginia to a Pentecostal preacher's family. Discovering his musical gift at age three, young Michael Archer learned music as ministry in church before winning Amateur Night at the Apollo at sixteen. Moving to New York at eighteen, he co-wrote and co-produced the hit "U Will Know" for Black Men United in nineteen ninety-four. His debut album "Brown Sugar" in nineteen ninety-five pioneered the neo-soul movement with its organic, analog sound. D'Angelo became central to the Soulquarians collective at Electric Lady Studios, collaborating with Questlove, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Angie Stone while establishing himself as one of music's most important innovators.Click here to browse handpicked Amazon finds inspired by this podcast series!https://amzn.to/42YoQGIThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI