After a 14-year recording hiatus, soul singer D'Angelo finally put out another album. Black Messiah became available yesterday, Dec. 14, for fans on iTunes. Expectations are heavy for the performer's new album, Billboard notes, especially considering his 2000 release, Voodoo, was a huge success.
Although the release date was never formally announced, Black Messiah was a hotly anticipated effort. D'Angelo has been dropping hints over the past year, debuting new songs live and letting Questlove of The Roots host a listening party. He recently dropped the first single, "Sugah Daddy," as well — see the tracklist and stream the record below.
As Pitchfork points out, the CD sleeve contains a message that promises that some of the album's tunes are political:
"Not every song on this album is politically charged (though many are), but calling this album Black Messiah creates a landscape where these songs can live to the fullest. Black Messiah is not one man. It's a feeling that, collectively, we are all that leader."
Black Messiah is only D'Angelo's third album. His debut, Brown Sugar, came out in 1995. It was Voodoo, though, that catapulted him to stardom. The album dominated the charts and, with the help of the music video for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," made the singer a sex symbol.
"I consider him a genius beyond words," Questlove told Pitchfork. "At the same time, I say to myself, 'How can I scream someone's genius if they hardly have any work to show for it?' Then again, the last work he did was so powerful that it's lasted 10 years."
01. Ain't That Easy
02. 1000 Deaths
03. The Charade
04. Sugah Daddy
05. Really Love
06. Back in the Future (Part I)
07. Till It's Done (Tutu)
08. Prayer
09. Betray My Heart
10. The Door
11. Back in the Future (Part II)
12. Another Life
