D’Angelo, Pioneering Neo-Soul Artist, Dies at 51
October 14, 2025 – Michael Eugen Archer, known professionally as D’Angelo, has died, his representatives confirmed today. He was 51 years old. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
News of D’Angelo’s passing sparked an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians across social media. Rapper Doja Cat hailed him as “a true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come.”
D’Angelo rose to prominence in the 1990s with his 1995 debut album, Brown Sugar, which reached number four on the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop chart. The album was later recognized as a seminal work, earning a place on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the greatest albums of all time in 2020. rolling Stone described Brown Sugar as “Soul 70’s visionary connection. Years with R&B from the 90s, which trampled the path of Neo Soul.”
D’Angelo is widely credited with shaping and popularizing the Neo-Soul genre – a style blending soul music with elements of R&B, jazz, hip hop, funk, and pop. Alongside artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, and later Macy Gray, Joss Stone, and Corinne Bailey Rae, he defined a generation of music.
Throughout his career, D’Angelo released two further studio albums: Voodoo (2000) and Black Messiah (2014). He also collaborated with Lauryn Hill on her critically acclaimed 1998 debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
D’Angelo garnered 14 Grammy nominations, winning four. He also gained recognition for his striking visual aesthetic, notably the provocative music video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” in 2000, in which he appeared partially nude.
His death comes just months after the passing of singer and actress Angie Stone, with whom he shared a son. D’Angelo is survived by three children.
