You Should Know
Out of curiosity I watched a few episodes of the short-lived Judd Apatow-produced show Undeclared the other night and found it to be tolerable yet utterly inferior to the Apatow-helmed Freaks And Geeks. One of the episodes depicted a group of sleep-deprived college students congregating around a community television attentively watching a music video: D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." In the video, Michael D'Angelo Archer, better known by his stage-name D'Angelo, is set against pitch-black. The camera slowly pans across his cornrows, rotates around to his eyes and slowly zooms out to reveal his rippling, muscled frame. By the end of the video, we've seen just about every inch of his chiseled torso: the valley between his pecs, the beads of sweat trickling down the v-shaped muscles pointing towards his, ahem, special region. It's very uncomfortable. Very voyeuristic. Very hard to watch, yet somehow just as hard to look away from. Then there's the song. It's great. D'Angelo's voice is brimming with the kind of soul infinite voice-lessons could never teach. "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" is a seductive, neo-soul nod to the likes of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and even Prince. Yes, I just praised a mainstream R&B song on my indie/folk blog. All alienated readers please exit stage-left. So seeing this video again all these years later piqued my curiosity. What the hell happened to that guy?
Fame, as we all know, is a double-edged sword, and the sharpest edge does the most significant damage. The man with his once carved body is now more than 40 pounds overweight. He's struggled with drug abuse, alcoholism, and depression. For most of his life, D'Angelo had been a chubby introvert, and the idea of standing half-naked on a New York soundstage flaunting his new body in front of cameras was something he initially resisted. Eventually he was convinced by a director who now regrets the repercussions of that video. After "Untitled" propelled D'Angelo into mainstream stardom, he would often battle crippling self-doubt to the point where he would cancel performances. The pressure of living up to the image of "Untitled" was too much. The six-pack once covered in beaded sweat had become more important than the music, than the art. D'Angelo, once viewed as a musician at the forefront of the neo-soul movement, was now expected to perform shirtless. He had become that naked guy on that video. It's been nine years since D'Angelo released Voodoo, the album containing the track "Untitled," his most popular single. He's yet to release a follow-up album. -- Capt. Obvious
3.28.2009
What Happened To D'Angelo?
at 3:43 PM
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11 comments:
Praising this R&B song captain is very, very unexpected. Listening the song was a bit torture, but ok i did it. Taking steps beyond this indie/folk is a brave thing. I am curious what is next?
Viscously i hope it is not "the follow-up album" ;)
this is exactly the reason that I love this blog. My musical inclinations couldn't be more similar!
I really, really appreciated this post. Not that I don't appreciate other posts, but it's quite refreshing when authors sometimes step out of their usual posts and can still be passionate and engaged about what they're writing.
Thanks for posting this fascinating and deeply saddening story. It's a welcome reminder that although it is easier to mistake superficiality for reality, it's a lot more interesting to dig deeper. We are all more than what we wear, what we look like and the corners others box us in to.
--Chris
Hey guys, thanks for the positive feedback. I know it's strange to see this on an indie blog, and believe me, I hate mainstream music too. I just thought it was engaging topic. Glad some of you enjoyed it.
very unexpected and brilliantly written. this is why i like to claim you as mine.
mistress c
xxx
xxx
I was wondering about D'Angelo. This is a sad story, he was one of the bright spots in the R&B movement of the 90s. Hopefully he bounces back.
Also, knowing you like I do, I'm sure you agree with me that good music is good music regardless of genre. It seems self-imposed labels often keep us from exploring art as it was meant to be explored: with an open mind. Sometimes it's good to take the chip off the shoulder every once and a while, put down the latte, take off the black rimmed glasses, turn your nose down a little, and really listen to what's going on in a musical piece without the filter of pretentiousness we all like to don.
Keep up the good work!
he's been making a new album. hopefully it'll come soon.
D'Angelo needs to know that it isn't and never was that body that made the music happen. What D'Angelo (Michael) has was sent here with him from birth. God gave him that talent and man is trying to take it away. Michael, don't you ever give up on what God intended you to have. You keep singing and give the glory to the One who gave it to you to begin with. Just like God gave it, He can take it away. He gives it willingly, but He doesn't take it away so easily. You still have what you always had. Pick yourself up, thank God for the journey and keep on pushing.
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