D’Angelo, Grammy-winning R&B singer who became an icon with ‘Untitled
(How Does It Feel),’ dies
[October 15, 2025]
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer recognized by his raspy yet
smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless
“Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video, has died. He was 51.
The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died Tuesday
after a long bout with cancer, his family said in a statement.
It called him “a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for
us in this life,” adding that they are “eternally grateful for the
legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind.”
In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop grit, emphatic soul and
gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped spearhead the neo-soul
movement of the 1990s. Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated
the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album “Brown Sugar,” a
platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like “Lady” and
the title track. The 1995 album earned him multiple Grammy nominations
and cemented him as one of R&B’s most original new voices.
D’Angelo’s sultry vocal style — a mix of raspy texture and church-bred
fluidity — set him apart from his peers. That voice became inseparable
from the striking visuals of his 2000 single “Untitled (How Does It
Feel).” The minimalist, shirtless music video became a cultural
touchstone, igniting conversations around artistry, sexuality and
vulnerability in Black male representation. The song earned him a Grammy
for best male R&B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album
“Voodoo,” topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy for
best R&B album.
With an idiosyncratic spirit not unlike Prince, D’Angelo’s devotion was
always to the craft — not the machinery around it. In a 2000 interview
with The Associated Press, he spoke candidly about the cost of chasing
commercial success.
“(Musicians) have gotten trapped into that mode of thinking marketable
and commercial. That destroys art, that destroys the essence of what it
is about,” he said. “You cannot, you cannot work like that. You cannot
make music like that. That’s not what this is about.”
That same year, D’Angelo reflected on his need for solitude amid fame:
“I used to hang out a lot, but now I’ve become more of a recluse,” he
told AP. “I long for just peace and silence.”
Beyond his own catalog, D’Angelo’s artistry shined in collaborations. He
memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad “Nothing Even
Matters,” a highlight of her landmark 1998 album “The Miseducation of
Lauryn Hill.” He also contributed to The Roots’ 1996 album “Illadelph
Halflife” and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded
one song: “U Will Know,” which D’Angelo wrote and co-produced, for the
film “Jason’s Lyric” in 1994.
“I remember hearing your music for the first time… I said to myself damn
whoever this is they are anointed,” Jamie Foxx said on social media.
“Then when I finally got a chance to see you… Like everyone when they
saw the most incredible music video of our time… I was blown away… I
thought to myself I have to see this person in concert… I had my chance
to see you at the house of blues… You came out and got right down to
business… Your voice was silky and flawless… I was graciously envious of
your style and your swag…”
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D'Angelo performs at the "Made In America" music festival in
Philadelphia on Sept. 1, 2012. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP,
File)
 Years before stepping back from
public view, D'Angelo's life and music were closely intertwined with
Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone in the ’90s. The pair met
while he was finishing “Brown Sugar” and bonded over their shared
Southern roots and deep church upbringing. Stone contributed to the
album and later collaborated with him on “Everyday,” a song from her
1999 debut album, “Black Diamond.”
Stone once described D’Angelo as her “musical soul mate,” to the AP
in 1999, adding that their working relationship was “’like milk and
cereal …. Musically, it was magic. It’s something that I have not
been able to do with any other producer or musician.” They had a son
together, the artist Swayvo Twain, born Michael Archer Jr.
Stone died earlier this year in a car crash. She was 63.
D’Angelo also has a daughter, Imani Archer, who is also a music
artist.
In the years that followed, D’Angelo's life became as defined by
absence as by acclaim. After “Voodoo,” he withdrew from the
spotlight for more than a decade, fueling speculation about personal
struggles and creative battles. His long-awaited return came in 2014
with “Black Messiah,” credited to D’Angelo and The Vanguard. The
urgent and politically charged album that arrived amid nationwide
protests and helped usher in a wave of activist music responding to
police killings of Black Americans and the rise of the Black Lives
Matter movement.
The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and won him a
Grammy for best R&B album, reaffirming his stature as a generational
voice. Its standout single, “Really Love,” earned him another Grammy
for best R&B song and earned a nomination for record of the year.
In May, D’Angelo withdrew from being a headliner for the 2025 Roots
Picnic in Philadelphia due to “an unforeseen medical delay regarding
surgery (he) had earlier this year,” the artists shared in a
statement. D’Angelo said he was advised the performance “could
further complicate matters.”
Beyond his biggest singles, D’Angelo’s catalog includes fan
favorites like “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine,” “Cruisin’” and
“Devil’s Pie.” His influence stretched far beyond the charts: he
inspired a wave of artists including Maxwell, Alicia Keys and Frank
Ocean.
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AP Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this story.
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