
After 14 years out of the spotlight, D'Angelo released "Black Messiah," a new album, which debuted with little promotion at a New York City listening session. Featuring 12 new tracks, it arrived at midnight on Monday, available on iTunes and to stream on Spotify (below). The debut single, "Sugah Daddy," premiered on Sunday.
"Black Messiah" features lyrics from Q-Tip and Kendra Foster, and backing by Questlove, James Gadsen and Pino Palladino. In an introduction for the album (see it all at Pitchfork), D'Angelo wrote, "'Black Messiah' is a hell of a name for an album. It can easily be misunderstood. Many will think it's about religion. Some will jump to the conclusion that I'm calling myself a Black Messiah. For me, the title is about all of us. It's about the world. It's about an idea we can all aspire to. We should all aspire to be a Black Messiah." He references Ferguson and Occupy Wall Street, but not every song on the album is politically-based. It's all sexy as hell, like his previous work.
D'Angelo's last record, "Voodoo," came out in 2000. Since then, critics and fans have been curious of his whereabouts. A 2012 GQ profile called "The Return of D'Angelo" focused on his struggle with addiction, and he's been teasing "Black Messiah" for at least a few months. (His manager teased a new album in an interview with Billboard back in June.)
Listen to the whole thing now:
Before You Go


Part of that comes from Bruce’s distinct, blue-collar lyrics, in turns joyful and melancholic. And part of that comes from the unparalleled E Street Band, whose contributions cannot be overstated—especially pianist Roy Bittan and saxophonist Clarence Clemons. That’s him supporting Bruce on Born to Run’s iconic cover, and when he passed in 2011, Springsteen eulogized: "He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music." R.I.P., Big Man.

Needless to say, At Folsom Prison was a hit. In fact, the album was so successful, Cash followed it up in 1969 with At San Quentin, which was nominated for Album of the Year and included one of Cash’s signature tunes, "A Boy Named Sue," written by poet Shel Silverstein.


And hey, if "Tumbling Dice" isn’t the one of the best rock-and-roll songs ever written (if not the very best), we don’t know what is.

A sad postscript: Bridge Over Troubled Water cemented Simon and Garfunkel’s place in music history, but at the cost of their partnership. Their relationship grew tense over the year it took to record, and they broke up shortly after its release.

P.S. The thing moves. Just listen to "As" or "Sir Duke" and try not to shake what God gave you.

The result wasn’t received well at first—even by the other Beach Boys. "Mike Love famously didn't like the album," says Brian Ives, producer at Radio.com. "But Paul McCartney did; it inspired him to start work on Sgt. Pepper." Audiences warmed up over time, and today, Pet Sounds is a trippy, gorgeous cultural touchstone.
"And come on," Ives adds. "'God Only Knows' is one of the loveliest songs of all time."


The result? Rumours—a hands-down gem that, 37 years later, still sounds like it could have been made yesterday.
"It may have been painful for the members of Fleetwood Mac, but it was great for everyone who ever listened to this album (which is almost everyone in America for at least two decades after its release)," says Ives. Between classics like “The Chain” and “Gold Dust Woman,” he says, "The definitive '70s FM radio record holds up remarkably well, and their current tour has been a can't-miss affair (no pun intended)."