When it comes to neo-soul royalty and R&B greats, few names carry the weight and mystique of D’Angelo. The late singer, who died at 51 this week, pioneered the former genre and redefined the latter in the late ’90s and early 2000s and left behind a body of work so rich, sensual, and spiritual that it continues to influence artists all these years later
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Although he only dropped three albums over the course of his career, all three projects were full of nonstop fire from start to finish. And while there’s an argument to be made about whether or not his sophomore album “Voodoo” is better than his debut album “Brown Sugar”—what’s not up for debate is just how multi-talented and multi-faceted he was.
And now that he’s passed away, what better time than now to revisit is discography and refamiliarize ourselves with the songs and sounds that brought us so much joy and served as the background music to some of our best memories. If you’re already a fan, you’ll have fun with this list. If you’re coming into this with curiosity of who exactly D’Angelo was and the music that he made, then you’re in for a true treat. Keep reading for the essential list of D’Angelo songs.
“Brown Sugar”
Of course we’re gonna lead with this song, it’s quite literally the name of his debut album. It’s also just the perfect entry point for anybody to understand exactly what kind of heat D’Angelo was coming out the gate with all those years ago.
“Send It On”
When you talk about a song being “one of one” or “one of those ones”—you’ve got to be talking about “Send It On.” There’s something so sweet and so tranquil about this song that really feels like a proper encapsulation of who D’Angelo really was.
“Lady”
If your man doesn’t dance with you to this song or it never comes up when he’s thinking about songs that remind him of you–can you really call him your man? “Lady” is easily a Black love soundtrack staple. Let’s be for real.
“Really Love”
When D’Angelo came back from his musical hiatus to bring us “Black Messiah,” we knew it was going to be something special. And the way “Really Love” hit the airwaves and subsequently hit the hearts of listeners—that was all the confirmation we needed.
“Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine”
“Is it just that you’re the finest little thing that I ever saw? Or is my imagination running too far? Is it that my eyes are telling me something you could never see? Something like me being with you and you being with me?”
And that’s just the chorus. You can’t expect to still be single after hearing a man say something as smooth as this. Consider yourself taken.
“Another Life”
Walk with us here: “Another Life” is “Send It On’s” older cousin. Like, you can tell they’re related but not close enough to be sisters. The essences are similar but the delivery is way different. But it should be stated that this song slaps just as hard.
“When We Get By”
The jazziness in this song just takes you back to a simpler time and place. It also makes you curious as to what exactly “chocolate lemonade” would taste like. Whatever the flavor profile, we’re sure it compliments the vibes of this song perfectly.
“Cruisin”
Yes, we know Smokey Robinson did it first but D’Angelo’s “Cruisin’” CAN NOT be ignored. It just can’t.
“I Found My Smile Again”
Author’s Note: While “Send It” On takes up prime real estate in my mind on a consistent basis, the joy that oozes through this songs is almost palpable and consistently fights for the top spot. If you don’t smile and bop to this one, there might be something seriously wrong with you.
“Heaven Must Be Like This”
There are songs about heaven and then there are songs about heaven that are written by D’Angelo. The latter is something that truly takes you on a journey to where you see, sense, and feel everything he’s talking about which makes it a superior song.
“Feel Like Making Love”
To have a man expound on the ways and moments that making him feel like making love to his woman is straight out of the lover boy handbook. What a romantic he was.
“Devil’s Pie”
There’s a reason why D’Angelo named his documentary after this song. Trust us, you’ll want to listen and lock in to this one.
“One Mo’Gin”
Honestly, the yearning in this song and the lyrical way D’Angelo tried to convince his lover to let him back in her life is something straight out of a movie scene. This is one you’ve got to hear.
“Betray My Heart”
Once again, D’Angelo’s third and final project boasted some truly magnificent songs. The upbeat tempo along with the message makes this song truly enjoyable.
“Spanish Joint”
One thing about D’Angelo is that you never knew exactly what kinds of musicality and influence he was going to have on a track. “Spanish Joint” is a perfect example of that.
“Untitled (How Does It Feel)
The only reason why this song is coming later on the list is because of the negative mental impact it later had on D’Angelo. But let’s not be mistaken–the song itself is GOOD. The hootin’ and hollerin’ he does in the last one minute and twenty seconds alone just sends this song into the stratosphere of “GOOD SANGING”–not singing, but SANGING.
Honorable Mention: “Nothing Even Matters”
This is one of those collaborations that just make you believe in love and all the goodness that comes with it. It’s a shame Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo only did this one song–we should’ve gotten an entire album!
Honorable Mention: “Be Here”
While this song is a Raphael Saadiq joint, D’Angelo’s silky smooth vocals absolutely turn this song up 1000 notches. There was no way we weren’t including it.
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