The great soul artist D'Angelo, one of the most gifted and mythic musicians of his generation, has died. TMZ reports that he passed away from pancreatic cancer this morning in New York. D'Angelo was 51.
It's hard to imagine a musician more reluctantly but universally beloved than D'Angelo. Early in his career, D'Angelo was a pop sensation and a sex symbol. His first album helped usher in what's now remembered as the neo-soul era, and his second album was almost inarguably that era's absolute apex. But D'Angelo shrunk away from the spotlight, battled substance abuse and mental health issues, and only returned years later, with what now appears to be his final masterpiece, Black Messiah. D'Angelo always seemed like he was on the verge of a major return. Now, it will never happen.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life," D'Angelo's family shares in a statement. "After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025. We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
D'Angelo was born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia. His father was a Pentecostal minister, and he started playing music very young. As a teenager, D'Angelo led Precise, an R&B group that won an Amateur Night contest at the Apollo Theater. For a little while, he was part of a rap group called I.D.U. (Intelligent, Deadly but Unique). At 18, he dropped out of high school and moved to New York in search of a music career. He signed to EMI when he was still a teenager, and he released his 1995 debut album Brown Sugar at 21.
Brown Sugar came out to a ton of buzz, especially after D'Angelo co-wrote the 1994 hit "U Will Know" for the one-off R&B supergroup Black Men United. D'Angelo produced Brown Sugar himself, with help from Bob Power, A Tribe Called quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Tony! Toni! Toné!'s Raphael Saadiq. It helped introduce a new soul archetype -- a singer who was steeped in the music of past generations but who brought a swaggering approach informed by '90s rap. The album went platinum and earned rave reviews, and D'Angelo made a big impact with the title track, the top-10 crossover hit "Lady," and his cover of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'."
In the years after Brown Sugar, D'Angelo covered a few more classic soul songs for movie soundtracks. He sang duets with Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Angie Stone, and he appeared on tracks from rap artists like the Roots GZA, Method Man, Common, and Slum Village. After a long bout with writer's block, D'Angelo returned with his 2000 masterpiece Voodoo. To make the LP, D'Angelo holed up at New York's storied Electric Ladyland studio with Roots drummer Questlove and the other musicians from the Soulquarians collective. The album was heavily informed by J Dilla's unique rhythmic style, and it included contributions from Method Man, Redman, DJ Premier, Raphael Saadiq, Pino Palladino, Charlie Hunter, Roy Hargrove, James Poyser, Q-Tip, and many others.
Voodoo was a critical and commercial smash, debuting at #1 and going platinum. D'Angelo famously appeared naked and beautiful in the video for his hit ballad "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," which drew screaming women to his live performances and led to serious body dysmorphia for the artist later on. After he finished touring behind Voodoo, D'Angelo returned to Richmond, developed a serious drinking problem, and retreated from public life. After a 2005 DUI arrest, he checked into a rehab clinic. In the years that followed, D'Angelo appeared on songs from artists like Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip, Common, and J Dilla, but he didn't release any music of his own.
For years, there would be occasional reports that D'Angelo was working on a new album, but nothing would materialize. He returned for a few live performances in 2012, and then he released the surprise return album Black Messiah at the very end of 2014. It's a dark and smothered but ultimately hopeful record, and D'Angelo recorded it with many of his Voodoo collaborators, including Questlove, Pino Palladino, and Roy Hargrove. D'Angelo toured behind Black Messiah and claimed that he was working on a companion-piece album. After Prince's 2016 passing, D'Angelo performed an unbelievable version of "Sometimes It Snows In April" on The Tonight Show. D'Angelo contributed the one-off song "Unshaken" to the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack in 2019.
In 2021, D'Angelo played a livestreamed Verzuz by himself show at the Apollo Theater. His final public performance was in 2022, when he was Dave Chappelle's surprise guest at the Netflix Is A Joke festival. The last D'Angelo track to come out during his lifetime was the 2024 Jay-Z collaboration "I Want You Forever." Last year, Raphael Saadiq claimed that D'Angelo was working on new music.
Check out a small selection of D'Angelo's amazing discography below.
