The world has lost D’Angelo, who passed away at 51 after fighting cancer.
His loved ones shared, “The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life…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.”
Even though he rarely released new music, every time he did, the whole R&B scene changed. Brown Sugar came out in 1995, and D’Angelo was just 21, but the album’s mix of jazzy chords and classic soul made it feel like something both ancient and brand new. The Soulquarians crew, like Q-Tip and Erykah Badu, were all about that creative energy too. Virginia, his home, must have felt proud.
People sometimes forget how Voodoo in 2000 made everyone start calling him a “genius.” He took his music even further, mixing gospel and soul, stretching songs out into long, dreamy jams. Everything was recorded live, not much editing, and he used old gear to make his voice sound even warmer. You could hear him stacking harmonies, almost like he was hiding inside the music itself.
Fans always hoped for more albums, but he kept things unpredictable, which made every release special.
Years later, after dealing with some tough times and drinking problems, D’Angelo came back out of nowhere in 2014 with Black Messiah. It was supposed to drop in 2015, but he rushed it out because the Black Lives Matter protests were everywhere after Michael Brown’s death. He told Alan Leeds, “I want to speak out,” and that’s exactly what he did, according to The New York Times.
