exclusive: witness the second coming of d’angelo with ‘black messiah’ – track by track #soundcheck

Since the release of D’Angelo’s landmark Voodoo 14 years ago, the questions have circled about a follow-up. Rumors have floated out, often squashed by D’Angelo and his collaborators, most notably Questlove. His unwanted status as sex symbol overshadowing his music, D’Angelo has been increasingly hesitant to step back into the ring. But as anyone who saw his electrifying set this summer at Afropunk Fest can attest, D’Angelo is back. Enjoy ‘Black Messiah’ in all its glory, below (and also check out his live set from the festival). 

By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK Contributor

After a 14 year wait, Black Messiah, doesn’t just pick up where Voodoo left off. How could it? And why should it? The world has changed immeasurably since he was last on the charts. Music has changed. And in 14 years, D’Angelo has changed. It’s reductive to talk about things being better or worse than they used to be. Life isn’t that simple. Certainly music isn’t. But let’s just get this out of the way: was it worth waiting 14 years? Oh hell yes.

Calling the record Black Messiah might sound like an ego-driven declaration along the lines of The Beatles or Jay-Hova, but D’Angelo explains “We should all aspire to be a Black Messiah. It’s about people rising up in Ferguson and in Egypt and in Occupy Wall Street and in every place where a community has had enough and decides to make change happen. It’s not about praising one charismatic leader but celebrating thousands of them.” Throughout, D’Angelo pulls a What’s Going On, and turns his uber-sensual soul towards society at large. Yeah, there’s some hot slow jams here, but the primary focus is on progress, and moving forward, both as individuals and as a society. As if to preempt any questions about another “Untitled,” D’Angelo shoots that down hard in “Back In The Future (Part I).” “I been wondering if I can ever again / So if you’re wondering about the shape I’m in / I hope it ain’t my abdomen that you’re referring to.”

Musically, D’Angelo’s massive grooves are here in full display. Aided by Questlove’s indomitable right foot, these are some of the dopest beats you’re likely to hear this (or any other) year. Pity the listener without decent subs. But like the lyrics, the production isn’t afraid to get in your face. With overdriven vocals buried beneath refracted keyboards and proclamations about the coming of “Jesus, the black revolutionary messiah,” D’Angelo wastes no time getting into it with “1000 Deaths.” “I been a witness to this game for ages / And if I stare death in the face, no time to waste!” You can hear the urgency from his voice down to the bass line. That this record didn’t come out any time in the past 14 years is because he needed to get this out now. “All we wanted was a chance to talk / ‘Stead we only got outlined in chalk.”

Backed by flamenco guitars and an almost unfairly perfect string arrangement, “Really Love” is a rare sentiment of sincere love. “I’m not an easy man to understand, you feel me / But girl you’re patient with me.” Reverse tape swells merge into harp flutters, combining new and old sounds into something timeless. If there’s one complaint about this record it’s that the string section turns up for only two sublime tracks before disappearing. Though their appearance on “Back In The Future (Part I)” is worth the price of admission alone. It’s undeniable that D’Angelo and his pack of musicians have some serious chemistry, but on “Back In The Future (Part I)” they sound like they’re just having fun.

Over a lilting groove worthy of any of Stones Throw’s best, “Till It’s Done (Tutu)” poses the questions on everyone’s mind. In a world where so many seem content in complacency to be complicit in the crimes of society, what will it take to spark us to action? “Sons and fathers die / Soldiers, daughters killed / Question ain’t do we have the resources to rebuild / Do we have the will?” The question may be being answered as we speak, as a generation is in the process of rising up against police violence and demanding social justice, but it won’t be until it’s done that we’ll see the answer. “Questions that call to us / we all reflect upon / Till it’s done.”

The record closes out with the stellar “Another Life.” A classic soul track that borrows the musicality of late 60’s Motown with modern rhythms, and D’Angelo’s stratospheric croon at it’s best. It’s a track that can and should be a hit in any era. This record may be ultra-timely, in the same way that his classic releases defined the neo-soul era, but that D’Angelo ends with one of his most timeless tracks points to his continued relevance. Not just in this moment of unrest and the promise of progress, but moving forward.

So is this record going to save us all? No, of course not. Are we going to save ourselves? I sure as hell hope so. More than anything, Black Messiah is a redemption story for D’Angelo himself. A man who saw his image as a sex symbol eclipse his art, returning with an album showing him to be a capital A Artist with no shortage of things to say about where we are, where we’ve been, and where we could be headed. This isn’t a comeback. This is D’Angelo’s second coming. Get your headphones on and prepare to be enraptured.