D’Angelo left behind a treasure trove of unreleased music before his tragic death last month, but thankfully fans will soon get to hear some of that coveted material.
During a red carpet interview with The National News Network at this past weekend’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, longtime friend and collaborator Questlove confirmed that a posthumous project from the late R&B legend is on the way.
“You’ll see soon. With him, it’s always the sound of yesterday but for the future. And this record is no different. So when it comes out, you’ll know,” he said.
Raphael Saadiq, who also worked closely with D’Angelo, previously revealed that the Voodoo virtuoso was “in a good space” and working on new music.
“D’s in a good space right now … I called him and he was like, ‘I got this track — you gotta get on it!’” he said on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast in September 2024.
“He’s working on six pieces right now and he seems super excited. He’s in control of his own destiny at this point.”
The Tony! Toni! Toné! co-founder also teased an appearance from both himself and Q-Tip on the album, courtesy of a years-old song recorded during sessions for the trio’s short-lived supergroup Lynwood Rose.
“I think it’s gonna be a record on D’Angelo’s new album, a record that we all did together,” Saadiq added. “Tip’s on there rhyming, I’m playing bass, me and D are singing background [vocals]. It’s funky as hell.”
The as-yet-untitled project will be D’Angelo’s fourth studio album and first since 2014’s Black Messiah, which won the Grammy for Best R&B Album.
The “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” hitmaker passed away on October 14 following a private battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51 years old.
In a lengthy tribute published on Rolling Stone, Questlove wrote: “D’Angelo, to me, was one of the last pure artists in Black music … I have to say, the last weeks with him were probably the best for our friendship.”
