After nearly 13 years since D’Angelo’s last release, it’s good to hear two things about the album – one, its almost finished (well we've been hearing this for a while now) and two, it’s sure to be another classic, at least according to ?uestlove.
The Roots drummer and producer, has been working very closely with the neo-soul singer on his latest project, helping to produce records for the much-anticipated D’Angelo album. So if there were anyone who would know the status on the singer’s third album it would most definitely be him.
He recently confirmed to Billboard Magazine that the album was near completion. "I'm heading out to Asia right now praying that we're still on schedule for when we said we were going to turn that record in,” said Questlove to the music magazine. "All last week, I was in the studio finishing (the album). We spent close to 18 hours, well not me personally because I have to go to 'Fallon,' but usually right after work. He's the only person that I'll actually go to the studio with and stay there to six in the morning, re-doing these drum parts. I won't even do that for my own band, but I'll do it for him. Right now, we're just tightening up the loose ends. But I still stand by, 99% of it is done."
Both D’Angelo albums – Brown Sugar (1995) and Voodoo (2000) have had amazing reviews, considered classic by many, and helped to bring neo-soul to the forefront of the music scene. Brown Sugar debuted at number six on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and was nominated for 4 Grammys. Rolling Stone called it, “a reminder of where R&B has been and, if the genre is to resurrect its creative relevance like a phoenix rising from the ashes, where it needs to go.” His sophomore album was even more of a success, The certified platinum album, debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earned him his first Grammys – for Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” – and dubbed a “masterpiece” among music’s top critics. As a result, fans expect and hope for nothing less than a masterpiece from the D’Angelo. Assuring fans their wait will be worth it, Questlove has already called the almost-finished album a classic.
“I would not be far off by saying this is probably my generation's version of Sly (and the Family Stone's) 'There's a Riot Goin' On.' It's potent. It's funky. It's an extremely hard pill to swallow. He's one of those artists that have, of course, taken 13 years to follow up a record. It's going to take you about 10 years to digest this record. Totally brilliant. Just the way this society works with music… being able to judge if something is a classic after the first listen, you can do that after thirty seconds on this. And the fact that we started this record in 2004, and it still sounds like it came out five years from now, it is a testament to the timelessness of it."
The in-house drummer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon also strongly suggested that the album should be released by February of this year.
"If this record is not turned in by February, then something is extremely wrong. Because we worked to the bone in the entire month of January just to tighten up all the loose ends."
The wait seems to be almost over for what appears to be another D’Angelo classic.
It’s been 15 years since D’Angelo released his last album, and fans have been eagerly awaiting new music from the R&B hitmaker. Finally, their wishes may be coming true. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, The Roots drummer ?uestlove said that D’Angelo’s upcoming album will be a classic.
For those who are unfamiliar with him, D’Angelo is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter who has achieved both critical and commercial success. His debut studio album Brown Sugar (1995) was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He then followed up this success with his second album Voodoo in 2000 which included smash singles like “Untitled” and “Devil’s Pie”.
Now it seems we’ll get to hear even more great music from D’Angelo – thanks to ?uestlove! According to the musician, fans can expect something special when they finally get their hands on the long-awaited release. Let’s take a closer look at what he had to say about the newest project!
Overview Of ?Uestlove
?uestlove, born Ahmir Khalib Thompson, is an American drummer, DJ and record producer who has been a member of the hip-hop group The Roots since 1987. He’s also served as musical director for the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014. ?uestlove is known for his wide range of musical knowledge – from jazz to funk to rap – and his ability to draw connections between seemingly disparate genres. In 2012, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame with The Roots.
In recent years, ?uestlove has become quite vocal about his love for soul singer D’Angelo and his excitement over new music coming from the artist. On June 1st 2021, during an appearance on Hot 97 FM radio show Ebro in the Morning, he declared that D’Angelo’s upcoming album would be nothing short of a classic.
This statement comes on the heels of D’Angelo’s successful Black Messiah album released in 2014 after 14 years without any new studio material. ?uestlove’s enthusiasm around this new project gives fans hope that it could potentially live up to its predecessor and even surpass it in greatness thanks to all those years of hard work put in by both artists behind closed doors.
D’angelo’s Forthcoming Album
D’Angelo is currently in the process of producing his fourth studio album, which has been long-anticipated by fans and music industry professionals alike. ?uestlove believes that this new record will be a classic – an opinion shared by many who have heard snippets from the project over the years. D’Angelo’s creative processes are known to take time, but he seems to have taken things up a notch with this particular project, taking a step back from touring and dedicating himself entirely to crafting something special.
?uestlove described his experience hearing tracks from D’Angelo’s upcoming album as “magical” and reported that it was on par with some of the greatest albums ever made. He also expressed admiration for how much work had gone into perfecting each track before finally allowing others to hear them. It certainly bodes well for what we can expect when the full album eventually drops.
The musical landscape is eagerly awaiting this release; D’Angelo’s pioneering approach to soul music continues to influence generations of artists today, so one can only imagine what kind of impact his next offering could make upon its arrival. While details about the yet untitled LP remain scarce and no official release date has been announced yet, excitement surrounding it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Conclusion
I believe ?uestlove’s prediction that D’Angelo’s forthcoming album will be a classic is an accurate one. He has seen the hard work and dedication D’Angelo is putting into his music, so he knows what to expect from it. I’m sure the fans are eagerly awaiting its release.
The excitement around this project demonstrates how much of an impact both musicians have had on the industry over the years. It’s clear that they understand each other musically as well as personally, which makes their collaboration even more special.
It’ll be interesting to see if ?uestlove’s predictions turn out to be true once we hear D’Angelo’s new album. Regardless, I’m sure it’ll be something beautiful and timeless – two words that perfectly describe both artists’ legacies in music.
