Few artists of his era blurred the lines between sacred and sensual quite like D’Angelo, who died Tuesday at 51.
With his unmistakable voice, deep-rooted musicianship, and devotion to craft over commerce, he helped define the sound of modern R and B.
This playlist, a mix of his celebrated hits and lesser-known gems, serves as a career-spanning reflection from the smooth grooves of “Brown Sugar” to the urgency of his “Black Messiah” album.
Read on and then listen to all of the tracks on our Spotify playlist.
1994: “U Will Know,” Black Men United (“Jason’s Lyric” soundtrack)
Before superstardom, D’Angelo united a generation of R&B voices for this empowering ballad from the “Jason’s Lyric” soundtrack.
1995: “Brown Sugar”
The song that started it all. With its warm groove and smoky vocals, “Brown Sugar” introduced D’Angelo as the face of neo-soul, bridging hip-hop rhythms with Marvin Gaye sensuality and Donny Hathaway
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