Questlove teases posthumous D’Angelo album

During the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson hinted that a posthumous D’Angelo album is on the way.

While details such as a release date and track list have not been revealed, insiders say the project was nearly completed before D’Angelo’s death. “With him it is always the sound of yesterday, but for the future,” says Questlove. “This record is no different. You’ll see soon.”

D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, died last month of pancreatic cancer at the age of 51.

His influence on modern R&B and soul is immeasurable. Fans have been waiting for new material since D’Angelo’s 2014 album. Black Messiah. The newly teased release is believed to come from unreleased sessions and demos recorded over the past few years.

In September 2024, Raphael Saadiq spoke about his contribution to the album in progress on the Rolling Stone music now podcast. “I play bass, D plays; me and D sing backgrounds. It’s funky as hell too. It’s like D is a bad boy. … It’s aged well. Good music ages,” Saadiq said of the song, which was recorded years earlier.

The creative collaboration between Questlove and D’Angelo lasted decades. The Roots drummer was an integral part of the co-pilot sessions for D’Angelo’s debut album, Brown sugar. He also contributed to the singer’s second follow-up, Voodoowhich has been hailed as a paradigm-shifting album in soul music.

Because the singer’s funeral services were private, many had no way to celebrate and honor the musical icon. Posthumous releases often walk a fine line between honoring an artist’s legacy and capitalizing on it. For D’Angelo, a perfectionist known for demanding control over his production, the question is: Would he have approved the final versions? Fans will have the final say.

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