There aren’t many musicians whose sound is so distinctive and influential that the music industry invents a whole new genre to describe it.
But D’Angelo, who has died at the age of 51, was seen as a trailblazer, thanks in large part to his groundbreaking debut album Brown Sugar, released in July 1995.
With its slow tempos and smooth vocals, D’Angelo’s chilled-out, late-night vibe recalled some of the legends of soul while also sounding entirely new.
R&B was already popular at the time – with TLC, Mary J Blige and Janet Jackson among the stars riding high in the charts.
But Brown Sugar’s more laid-back sound blended rhythm and blues with crisp hip-hop beats, jazz and funk, differentiating it from the more pop-skewing R&B dominating radio at the time.
The album’s sound was christened “neo-soul” – and its influence is still being felt three decades after its release.
D’Angelo’s music still crops up on streaming service playlists with titles such as “Relaxed evening vibes” and “Chilled soul classics”.
It still soundtracks dinner parties and date nights. And D’Angelo is cited as an influence not only by the artists who were his peers at the time, but by newer talents emerging today.
“He was so important, and still is,” Welsh hip-hop artist Lemfreck, who has been championed by BBC Introducing, told Radio 1’s Newsbeat.
“That neo-soul sound from the 90s and noughties is the base layer for every single layer of R&B you hear to this day.”
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