Music Metrics Vault

D'Angelo

Data updated on 2024-11-12 18:51:27 UTC
D'Angelo established himself as an unwitting founder and leading light of the late-'90s neo-soul movement, which aimed to bring the organic flavor of classic R&B back to the hip-hop age. Modeling himself on the likes of Marvin Gaye, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, D'Angelo exhibited his inspirations not only with his vocal style -- albeit with a stoned yet emotive twist all his own -- but also wrote his own material, and frequently produced it, helping to revive the concept of the all-purpose R&B auteur. His first album, Brown Sugar (1995), gradually earned him an audience so devoted that the looser and rhythmically richer follow-up, Voodoo (2000), debuted at number one despite a gap of almost five years, and won that year's Grammy for Best R&B Album. A wait of nearly three times that length preceded the release of the bristlier Black Messiah (2014), a Top Five hit that made D'Angelo a two-time Best R&B Album winner. The musician since then has released "Unshaken," recorded for the soundtrack of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018).

The son of a Pentecostal minister, Michael D'Angelo Archer was born February 11, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia. He began teaching himself piano as a young child, and at age 18 won the amateur talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater three consecutive weeks. He was briefly a member of a hip-hop group called I.D.U. and in 1991 signed a publishing deal with EMI. His first major success came in 1994 as the co-writer and co-producer of the Jason's Lyric soundtrack single "U Will Know," a Top Five R&B hit featuring a one-time all-star R&B aggregate dubbed B.M.U. (Black Men United). That led to the July 1995 release of Brown Sugar, D'Angelo's debut album. Across the next several months, the Top Ten of the R&B chart made room for three of its singles: the title track, written and produced with A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad; a self-produced cover of Smokey Robinson and Marvin Tarplin's "Cruisin'"; and "Lady," made with Tony! Toni! Toné!'s Raphael Saadiq. In the process, Brown Sugar caught on with R&B fans looking for an alternative to the slicker mechanized sounds dominating the urban contemporary landscape, and went platinum. In October 1996, the majority of a September 1995 performance -- featuring another major studio collaborator, Angie Stone, on background vocals -- was released in Japan as Live at the Jazz Cafe, London.

Between proper LPs, D'Angelo took some time off and split acrimoniously with his management. Meanwhile, neo-soul, a marketing term coined by industry executive Kedar Massenburg, caught on as a legitimate subgenre with the success of like-minded artists such as Maxwell and Erykah Badu. D'Angelo surfaced on a handful of soundtracks, primarily via cover versions, contemporizing Eddie Kendricks' "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (Get on the Bus), Prince's "She's Always in My Hair" (Scream 2), Ohio Players' "Heaven Must Be Like This" (Down in the Delta), and Ashford & Simpson's "Your Precious Love" (a duet with Badu, for High School High). He placed a DJ Premier-produced original, "Devil's Pie," on the soundtrack for Belly, and joined Lauryn Hill on "Nothing Even Matters," a cut off the Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

After all that intermittent activity and a series of delays, D'Angelo made his full return in January 2000 with the looser and more jam-oriented Voodoo. Affirming the devotion and size of D'Angelo's following, the album debuted at number one. A highly collaborative and freewheeling recording, it was created at the same time as Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun and Common's Like Water for Chocolate, and involved much of the same personnel, some of whom -- including Badu, Common, ?uestlove, J Dilla, Q-Tip, James Poyser, and D'Angelo himself -- were dubbed the Soulquarians. The drifting falsetto ballad "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" narrowly missed the top of the R&B chart and won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal. Voodoo likewise won for Best R&B Album. Throughout the remainder of the 2000s, D'Angelo made only a handful of recorded guest appearances. Most notably, he took part in a version of Fela Kuti's "Water No Get Enemy," recorded for the Red Hot + Riot compilation. Raphael Saadiq's "Be Here" and Snoop Dogg's "Imagine" were events by virtue of the artist's mere presence, while two versions of the Dilla production "So Far to Go" -- first heard on Dilla's posthumous The Shining, then reworked for Common's Finding Forever -- also reunited him with Soulquarians.

D'Angelo's long-awaited third album, said to be titled James River, was originally due in 2009 but did not materialize. In January 2013, Billboard asked ?uestlove about the status of the recording, and was told that "99% of it is done." Around this time, D'Angelo was performing more often, including European club dates and scattered festival appearances. In March 2014, Live at the Jazz Cafe, London, expanded and reissued internationally through Virgin, served as stopgap product once more. During the second week of that December, cryptic posts on various social media platforms announced "Black Messiah is coming." One of the earliest warnings came from journalist, author, and filmmaker Nelson George, who had recently featured D'Angelo for his Finding the Funk documentary and conversed with the musician for a public conversation facilitated by Red Bull Music Academy. On the evening of the 14th, George hosted an exclusive listening party for Black Messiah, an album credited to D'Angelo and his backing band, a mix of old and new associates dubbed the Vanguard. The LP was released the following day on RCA. More adventurous and outward looking than what preceded it, Black Messiah entered the Billboard 200 at number five and won the following year's Grammy for Best R&B Album, while lead single "Really Love" took Best R&B Song. D'Angelo toured briefly and wasn't heard from again until the October 2018 release of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. Along with Daniel Lanois and Rocco DeLuca, he provided "Unshaken" for the game's soundtrack. The song was available commercially on its own the following January. ~ Andy Kellman & Steve Huey, Rovi

Total plays

1.1 billion
Updated on 2024-11-12

Monthly listeners

1,898,138

Followers

1,237,583

Top Cities

  1. United Kingdom
    36,481 listeners
  2. United States
    32,590 listeners
  3. South Africa
    Johannesburg
    30,530 listeners
  4. United States
    25,550 listeners
  5. United States
    25,446 listeners

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Most popular tracks

Track Plays Duration Release date
Nothing Even Matters (feat. D'Angelo)
Nothing Even Matters (feat. D'Angelo)
93,432,616 5:51 1998-08-25
Lady
Lady
81,422,802 5:46 1995-07-03
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
72,647,091 4:23 1995-07-03
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
72,622,667 4:22 1995-07-03
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
63,657,420 7:11 2000-01-01
Really Love
Really Love
51,614,792 5:44 2014-12-15
So Far to Go
So Far to Go
51,142,911 5:37 2006-08-21
Unshaken
Unshaken
46,744,084 3:53 2019-01-04
Feel Like Makin' Love
Feel Like Makin' Love
36,507,088 6:22 2000-01-01
Cruisin'
Cruisin'
33,064,213 6:25 1995-07-03
Send It On
Send It On
31,381,445 5:56 2000-01-01
Imagine
Imagine
30,572,288 4:42 2006-01-01
Sugah Daddy
Sugah Daddy
30,365,268 5:03 2014-12-15
Another Life
Another Life
19,864,492 5:59 2014-12-15
Spanish Joint
Spanish Joint
18,834,900 5:44 2000-01-01
I Found My Smile Again (Radio Edit)
I Found My Smile Again (Radio Edit)
17,273,229 4:00 2008-12-01
When We Get By
When We Get By
16,639,102 5:45 1995-07-03
Devil's Pie
Devil's Pie
15,112,445 5:22 1997-06-11
Betray My Heart
Betray My Heart
14,885,042 5:55 2014-12-15
Ain't That Easy
Ain't That Easy
13,439,766 4:49 2014-12-15
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine
11,039,338 4:46 1995-07-03
I'll Stay
I'll Stay
10,739,782 7:51 2003-01-01
One Mo'Gin
One Mo'Gin
10,620,794 6:13 2000-01-01
Break Ups 2 Make Ups
Break Ups 2 Make Ups
10,347,136 3:54 1998-10-11
Untitled (How Does It Feel) - Edit
Untitled (How Does It Feel) - Edit
10,046,487 4:20 2008-01-01
Be Here
Be Here
9,993,979 3:49 2002-01-01
Left And Right
Left And Right
9,908,656 4:46 2000-01-01
Left & Right
Left & Right
9,908,656 4:46 1998-03-11
Really Love - Live from Spotify NYC
Really Love - Live from Spotify NYC
9,295,353 7:48 2015-05-12
Playa Playa
Playa Playa
8,938,643 7:07 2000-01-01
The Charade
The Charade
8,715,799 3:21 2014-12-15
Chicken Grease
Chicken Grease
7,938,075 4:37 1999-04-23
Back to the Future (Part I)
Back to the Future (Part I)
7,711,975 5:22 2014-12-15
Till It's Done (Tutu)
Till It's Done (Tutu)
7,623,277 3:52 2014-12-15
The Line
The Line
7,228,201 5:16 2000-01-01
The Root
The Root
7,102,443 6:33 2000-01-01
Prayer
Prayer
7,004,985 4:33 2014-12-15
Alright
Alright
6,977,400 5:13 1995-07-03
1000 Deaths
1000 Deaths
6,726,837 5:50 2014-12-15
Shit, Damn, Motherfucker
Shit, Damn, Motherfucker
6,593,501 5:15 1995-07-03
Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*cker
Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*cker
6,593,501 5:14 1995-07-03
The Door
The Door
6,078,448 3:08 2014-12-15
Smooth
Smooth
5,990,818 4:21 1995-07-03
Higher
Higher
5,842,141 5:28 1995-07-03
Africa
Africa
5,740,938 6:14 1999-01-24
So Far to Go - Short Edit
So Far to Go - Short Edit
5,665,869 4:00 2016-08-19
Believe
Believe
5,582,456 2:57 2008-01-01
Jonz In My Bonz
Jonz In My Bonz
5,462,310 5:55 1995-07-03
So Far To Go
So Far To Go
5,392,157 4:28 2007-01-01
Greatdayndamornin'/Booty
Greatdayndamornin'/Booty
5,305,319 7:35 2000-01-01
Ain't Nobody Home
Ain't Nobody Home
5,288,552 4:60 1997-11-04
Ibtihaj
Ibtihaj
4,955,308 4:47 2019-08-02
Back to the Future (Part II)
Back to the Future (Part II)
4,915,032 2:25 2014-12-15
Can't Hide Love - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Can't Hide Love - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
4,204,898 3:57 1998-06-30
Lady - Radio Edit
Lady - Radio Edit
3,980,502 4:07 2008-01-01
Cruisin' - Radio Edit
Cruisin' - Radio Edit
3,516,348 3:59 2008-01-01
Tell Me
Tell Me
3,289,760 4:38 2009-01-26
Water No Get Enemy
Water No Get Enemy
3,226,349 6:06 2007-01-01
Betray My Heart - Live from Spotify NYC
Betray My Heart - Live from Spotify NYC
3,147,069 11:52 2015-05-12
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Radio Edit
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Radio Edit
2,200,137 4:16 2008-01-01
She's Always In My Hair - Live from Spotify NYC
She's Always In My Hair - Live from Spotify NYC
2,187,291 6:32 2015-05-12
The Hypnotic
The Hypnotic
1,482,211 5:20 1996-09-24
The Door - Live from Spotify NYC
The Door - Live from Spotify NYC
1,479,683 6:39 2015-05-12
Feel Like Makin' Love
Feel Like Makin' Love
1,310,015 6:02 2008-01-01
Heaven Must Be Like This
Heaven Must Be Like This
1,285,381 4:13 2008-01-01
I Found My Smile Again
I Found My Smile Again
1,131,756 6:16 1997-09-25
Lady - Just Tha Beat Mix
Lady - Just Tha Beat Mix
1,075,413 4:02 1995-07-04
Bullshit
Bullshit
1,036,409 4:57 2006-01-01
Sh*t Damn, Motherf*cker - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Sh*t Damn, Motherf*cker - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
835,284 5:40 1998-06-30
I'm Glad You're Mine - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
I'm Glad You're Mine - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
789,575 6:15 1998-06-30
Cold World - RZA Mix
Cold World - RZA Mix
731,733 4:29 1995-05-01
She's Always In My Hair - Radio Edit
She's Always In My Hair - Radio Edit
712,894 4:07 2008-01-01
Break U Off (feat. D'Angelo)
Break U Off (feat. D'Angelo)
667,539 1:50 2015-08-14
Left And Right - Clean Radio Edit
Left And Right - Clean Radio Edit
614,769 4:26 2000-01-01
I Want You Forever
I Want You Forever
604,981 9:33 2024-01-12
Sweet Sticky Thing - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Sweet Sticky Thing - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
573,970 1:35 1998-06-30
Cruisin' - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Cruisin' - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
550,391 6:39 1998-06-30
Jonz In My Bones - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Jonz In My Bones - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
532,461 3:56 1998-06-30
Your Precious Love
Your Precious Love
511,167 4:32 1999-01-01
Lady - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Lady - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
505,770 8:60 1998-06-30
Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine (Def Squad Remix)
Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine (Def Squad Remix)
486,674 4:39 2017-11-28
Brown Sugar - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Brown Sugar - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
434,956 10:45 1998-06-30
Feel Like Making Love
Feel Like Making Love
412,033 5:19 2013-08-06
Devil's Pie - A Cappella
Devil's Pie - A Cappella
407,580 1:40 2008-01-01
Soultronic
Soultronic
400,202 3:10 2013-08-06
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
392,513 4:49 1998-06-30
Girl You Need A Change Of Mind
Girl You Need A Change Of Mind
384,580 4:08 2008-01-01
Brown Sugar - Acapella
Brown Sugar - Acapella
376,687 4:17 1995-07-04
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Def Squad Remix
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Def Squad Remix
371,644 4:51 1995-07-04
So Cold
So Cold
339,516 5:59 2008-08-18
Fencewalk - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Fencewalk - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
338,606 1:49 1998-06-30
The Hypnotic
The Hypnotic
314,242 4:53 2005-01-01
Send It On
Send It On
283,120 5:42 2013-08-06
Brown Sugar - Instrumental
Brown Sugar - Instrumental
257,983 4:24 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar - Incognito Molasses Mix
Brown Sugar - Incognito Molasses Mix
250,955 5:23 1995-07-04
Devil's Pie - Radio Edit
Devil's Pie - Radio Edit
241,214 4:29 2000-01-01
Introduction - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Introduction - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
239,065 0:47 1998-06-30
Devil's Pie
Devil's Pie
237,998 7:14 2013-08-06
Interlude For Real
Interlude For Real
237,684 1:09 2013-08-06
Cruisin' - WET Remix
Cruisin' - WET Remix
225,578 7:50 1995-07-04
Sh*t Damn Motherf**ker
Sh*t Damn Motherf**ker
213,114 7:51 2013-08-06
Brown Sugar - Soul Inside 808 Mix
Brown Sugar - Soul Inside 808 Mix
210,156 4:59 1995-07-04
Lady
Lady
201,707 5:11 2013-08-06
Chicken Grease
Chicken Grease
198,082 7:15 2013-08-06
Announcement - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
Announcement - Live At The Jazz Cafe, London/1995
187,471 0:39 1998-06-30
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
187,313 8:05 2013-08-06
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Acapella
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Acapella
186,947 4:43 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
182,236 11:27 2013-08-06
Gettin' Ready
Gettin' Ready
181,088 0:60 2013-08-06
Lady - Instrumental With Chorus
Lady - Instrumental With Chorus
179,228 3:56 1995-07-04
Me And Those Dreamin Eyes Of Mine
Me And Those Dreamin Eyes Of Mine
174,441 4:46 2013-08-06
Left & Right Pt. 1
Left & Right Pt. 1
160,084 5:53 2013-08-06
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Two Way Street Mix
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Two Way Street Mix
159,372 4:38 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar - C J Mackintosh Remix Edit
Brown Sugar - C J Mackintosh Remix Edit
156,328 3:44 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar - Alternate Version
Brown Sugar - Alternate Version
156,275 5:35 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar - King Tech Remix
Brown Sugar - King Tech Remix
156,032 4:01 1995-07-04
Cruisin' - Cut The Sax Remix
Cruisin' - Cut The Sax Remix
150,913 5:01 1995-07-04
ăƒ¬ăƒ•ăƒˆăƒ»ă‚¢ăƒ³ăƒ‰ăƒ»ăƒ©ă‚¤ăƒˆ
ăƒ¬ăƒ•ăƒˆăƒ»ă‚¢ăƒ³ăƒ‰ăƒ»ăƒ©ă‚¤ăƒˆ
149,746 5:39 2001-01-01
Left & Right Pt. 2
Left & Right Pt. 2
149,344 6:21 2013-08-06
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Dreamy Remix
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine - Dreamy Remix
143,816 4:39 1995-07-04
Cruisin' - God Made Me Funky Remix
Cruisin' - God Made Me Funky Remix
138,398 4:39 1995-07-04
Sardines
Sardines
134,671 2:25 2013-08-06
Jam Jammin'
Jam Jammin'
132,132 15:52 2013-08-06
Lady - C J Mackintosh Radio Edit
Lady - C J Mackintosh Radio Edit
131,999 3:60 1995-07-04
Brown Sugar - Dollar Bag Mix
Brown Sugar - Dollar Bag Mix
130,877 4:25 1995-07-04
Cruisin' - Dallas Austin Remix
Cruisin' - Dallas Austin Remix
129,003 5:22 1995-07-04
Lady - 2B3 Shake Dat Ass Mix
Lady - 2B3 Shake Dat Ass Mix
110,950 6:05 1995-07-04
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Untitled (How Does It Feel)
91,559 4:33 2013-10-22
Your Precious Love
Your Precious Love
88,817 4:12 1996-01-01
Cruisin' - Who's Fooling Who Mix
Cruisin' - Who's Fooling Who Mix
82,817 4:38 1995-07-04
Interlude Maiden Voyage
Interlude Maiden Voyage
75,228 3:06 2013-08-06
Sugar Daddy Jam
Sugar Daddy Jam
72,176 11:37 2013-10-22
When I Die
When I Die
70,918 2:27 2013-10-22
Chicken Grease
Chicken Grease
63,371 5:42 2013-10-22
Devil's Pie
Devil's Pie
62,206 3:17 2013-10-22
The Charade
The Charade
59,028 5:45 2013-10-22
Water No Get Enemy
Water No Get Enemy
52,232 10:11 2002-10-15
Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*cker
Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*cker
52,003 5:38 2013-10-22
So Far To Go - Instrumental
So Far To Go - Instrumental
49,947 4:07 2007-07-31
Brown Sugar (Bonus Live Track)
Brown Sugar (Bonus Live Track)
45,890 13:59 2013-10-22
Cold World - Power Mix
Cold World - Power Mix
35,582 4:28 1995-05-01
Talk Sh*t To You
Talk Sh*t To You
25,404 4:35 2001-01-01
Devil's Pie - From The "Belly" Soundtrack
Devil's Pie - From The "Belly" Soundtrack
25,251 5:15 1998-11-03
Jonz in My Bonz (feat. D'Angelo)
Jonz in My Bonz (feat. D'Angelo)
25,162 3:26 2011-08-23
Soy Yo
Soy Yo
16,787 3:05 2006-04-10
Like Devil's Pie
Like Devil's Pie
10,642 2:24 2017-06-02
Tell Me
Tell Me
8,208 3:58 2009-01-26
Vuelve A Mi
Vuelve A Mi
6,265 2:54 2006-04-10
Water Get No Enemy - A Cappella
Water Get No Enemy - A Cappella
6,136 6:02 2002-10-15
Mino - Radio Vrs.
Mino - Radio Vrs.
5,205 1:06 2021-03-21
Studio Talk / Water Get No Enemy - Instrumental
Studio Talk / Water Get No Enemy - Instrumental
3,593 13:06 2002-10-15
Stand By Me - Radio Vrs.
Stand By Me - Radio Vrs.
3,350 2:60 2021-04-23
Lady
Lady
2,848 2:38 2017-06-21
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine (Nu Soul Mix) - Re-recorded / Remastered
Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine (Nu Soul Mix) - Re-recorded / Remastered
2,631 4:46 2005-01-01
Voodoo
Voodoo
2,088 4:22 1997-10-16
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga
< 1000 3:03 2020-03-18
Rainy Days
Rainy Days
< 1000 2:03 2018-01-01

New releases

Unshaken
Unshaken
2019-01-04
[RCA Records Label]
Spotify Sessions
Spotify Sessions
2015-05-12
[RCA Records Label]
Black Messiah
Black Messiah
2014-12-15
[RCA Records Label]
Made In America Festival 2012
Made In America Festival 2012
2013-10-22
[EuroLive]
Live In Stockholm
Live In Stockholm
2013-08-06
[Eurostar]
I Found My Smile Again
I Found My Smile Again
2008-12-01
[GMUSIC]
The Best So Far
The Best So Far
2008-01-01
[Virgin Catalog]
Ultimate D'Angelo
Ultimate D'Angelo
2008-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Voodoo
Voodoo
2000-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Voodoo
Voodoo
2000-01-01
[Virgin Records]
Live At The Jazz Cafe, London
Live At The Jazz Cafe, London
1998-06-30
[Virgin Catalog]
Brown Sugar (Deluxe Edition)
Brown Sugar (Deluxe Edition)
1995-07-04
[Virgin Catalog]
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
1995-07-03
[Virgin Records]
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar
1995-07-03
[Virgin Records]