D'Angelo

D’Angelo, one of the most influential singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists in the neo soul movement, surprised everyone in the music business by sold out Occupy Music Tour early this year. The tour covered a part of Scandinavia and major European cities like London, Paris and Amsterdam. Rumors of the heavily hyped “James River” surfaced and re-bounded again when four new songs were presented on the tour – ”Sugah Daddy”, “Ain’t That Easy”, “Another Life” ja “The Charade”.

The year 1991 was the year when D’Angelo claimed international fame along with Maxwell, Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, signed a record deal with EMI Records in 1991 but his debut album ”Brown Sugar” was not released until 1995. “Lady” was the killer track and it became a Top Ten hit turning the album eventually into a platinum record.

The heavily hyped and delayed second album “Voodoo” took almost five years to make but it brought D’Angelo back with a vengeance. It debuted at #1 and went on to win two Grammy Awards, one for Best R&B Album, and the other for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The second single and Prince-homage “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” became a huge megahit.

“The Voodoo Tour” drew rave reviews globally. D’Angelo wanted to pay tribute to Prince’s massive live happenings witnessed in the late 1980’s – and succeeded beyond expectations.

But then a nine-year silence followed – no interviews, no gigs and no new solo material. Finally in 2009 D’Angelo revealed that the third album “James River”, including major contributions from for example Prince, Cee Lo Green, Raphael Saadiq, Mark Ronson and Roy Hargrove, is just about to be finished. We are still waiting.