Celebrating the pioneering impact of D’Angelo on music and generations of artists
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On the morning of October 14 2025, Michael Eugene Archer, better known as D’Angelo, passed away after a private struggle with pancreatic cancer. The news was devastating to fans, artists and others across the music world. As overwhelming as the outpouring of love and tributes has been, they are not an overreaction but a fitting response to the loss of a man that is one of music’s most consequential talents.
D’Angelo: Impact on music
A staggering volume of artists and songs today draw their inspiration from the sounds D’Angelo introduced the world to across his 3 monumental albums. Certainly, Brown Sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000) and Black Messiah (2014) are rightly recognised as some of the best albums of the decade in which they were each released. All three are canonical in modern R&B and Soul music, pioneering what people now call Neo-Soul.
And the truth is your favourite artist probably looks to D’Angelo for inspiration making their best music. I don’t remember seeing this many artists tribute another artist, sharing about how directly their art was impacted by them.
So this playlist celebrating D’Angelo’s pioneering influence on music and generations of artists was a no brainer. Songs and artists that are dope precisely cause they lean into D’Angelo’s sauce. Brought to you by our team and some of the most passionate music lovers and D’Angelo fans we know. Enjoy!
Contributors: Elizabeth Blege, Anjola Adedayo, Oyinkan Sunmonu, Elizabeth Berchie, Renée Jackson, Chloe Hubbard
