Black Messiah
D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s groundbreaking album, 10 years forward
as i reflect on albums i enjoyed in 2024 (and prepare that draft for publication), i’d also like to tell you about one of my favorite albums of all time: D’Angelo and the Vanguard’s Black Messiah, which celebrated its 10th anniversary over the weekend.
i can tell you exactly where i was when i first heard Black Messiah because i still taste it on my tongue. i was reclining on my futon bed, either getting ready for work or school, when i saw the headline about a surprise new album from D’Angelo (né Michael Eugene Archer). i was so excited to receive that news — it’s a feeling that’s so visceral and tangible even 10 years later. i’ve listened to Black Messiah multiple times leading up to the anniversary, and i’ll share some of my favorite moments with you as we revisit the album together.
going back to December 15, 2014, i hit play on Black Messiah during my commute and fell in love that day. i’ve continued to fall deeper in love ever since. what did it initially taste like to devour this music so quickly? if i had to give it notes: dark, sticky, spicy, sweet, funky (complimentary).1 it’s quite a stimulating experience. although the flavor marinates within you, that initial sensation never leaves.
with that visual in mind, it nearly goes without saying that i would desire to have this album in my physical library. i didn’t cop it until my birthday this year, but it had definitely been on my list. on my 30th rotation around the sun, i walked into Wax ‘N’ Facts in the rain, and the downpour only got worse while i was in the store, so i felt no rush to leave. there were only a handful of people shopping, which presented the perfect opportunity to take my time looking for everything i wanted. i went in requesting the Black Messiah CD, but i found the vinyl instead. it was the only one, so i knew in my heart that it was left there just for me.
if you’re like me — if soul and funk and all their cousins are nearly as essential as the blood that pumps through your veins — then it’s likely that you’ve also spent considerable time with this album over the last 10 years.2 it’s endlessly exciting to listen to, because there’s an opportunity to learn something new about the music (and perhaps yourself) with every new play.
in case you’re unfamiliar, i’ve previously mentioned my reverence for D’Angelo. i listen to too much music to have a consistent and definitive list of favorite artists, but i’d say he’s in the top 10 (five, really). D’Angelo is the artist that shifts my concept of time. his vocal range excites me, as it transcends the highest peaks and the lowest valleys. there’s an art to his ability to equally draw from the depths of Earth’s grounded roots to the piercing height of the cosmos and beyond.
for this album, he collaborated with a talented crew of musicians dubbed “The Vanguard.” you can tell that they tapped into a deep reservoir of knowledge, as the channeling of D’Angelo’s inspirations is so apparent on this album.3 the musicians recorded Black Messiah with analog equipment, which lends to its timeless essence. it’s a dynamic and interactive listen. the clapping, chatter, counting, conducting, and call & response heard across the album reinforce rawness while simultaneously reminding listeners of the precision, teamwork, and refinement required to craft such an album. one that people will discuss, analyze, and enjoy years after it was released.
admittedly, i haven’t played the physical record yet. since moving, i’m down one record player, and the one i still have is really a novelty piece. so it’s time for an upgrade. once i have acquired a new playback device, this might be one of the first records i listen to.
i should also note this isn’t even the first time that this album has been spotlighted on things i collected! for the first recollections, guest writer Naiya shared the following quote about keeping the CD in frequent rotation:
I’m spiritual, okay, and have to listen to music that appeases my soul. This is that. I remember the anticipation that built up around this album. Sort of like Man on the Moon II, it was deep and moody, but the band (The Vanguard) deepened the experience even more for me. The production of this record stands out the most of all the records listed here and the poet in me really lives for these lyrics. And once again, I’m blessed to be Black, so I gotta keep it on me.
Naiya’s anecdote appropriately centers and contextualizes the inherent faith and Blackness of the album’s title. it gives us perspective to remember that D’Angelo comes from a religious background, so it’s not unlikely for his music to recall a feeling that’s similar to listening to gospel. and it also reminds me of music’s possibility to invoke a spiritual experience — i’ve felt it both in live concert settings and during solo listening sessions.
on the theme of unwavering faith, the opening song to mark D’Angelo’s return (“Ain’t That Easy”) has him professing a love that he refuses to let go of. it mirrors how fans likely felt in the wake of his absence. if Brown Sugar and Voodoo were the only albums we ever got from the Virginia native, it might have been sufficient compared to some other discographies. yet, i imagine the wondering and pondering would have persisted.
essentially, this album resolved the years of what-ifs. it serves as a form of resurrection: soulful music shall rise again, and so shall the message that will bring us salvation in times of crisis. the album cover further reflects this sentiment. hands stretched out in resistance and protest during the wake of racialized violence look identical to hands reaching affirmatively towards the pulpit.
liberation, community, and love are other recurring themes of the album, as is anticipation. there’s a lengthy but compelling instrumental that introduces “Betray My Heart.” it’s nearly two minutes into the track before reassurance comes in the form of these lyrics: “And if ever that you feel that my love is not sincere, I will never betray my heart.” meanwhile, “Really Love” echoes real life and recalls a story established on “Spanish Joint” from his sophomore album. the smooth voice heard in the opening of “Really Love” is Gina Figueroa, the same woman who inspired the aforementioned Voodoo track at the turn of the millennium.4
throughout the album’s 56-minute run, consistent and repeating motifs serve as cues and invitations to groove even harder. personally, i’m a sucker for a well-timed reprise. it takes a true artist to employ them skillfully, which D’Angelo does with “Back to the Future (Part I)” and “Part II.” best believe that whenever “Part II” plays, i’m seamlessly hopping back into the same two-step i was doing earlier in the album, like the song never ended anyway.
however, there’s ample opportunity to acknowledge how much time has elapsed. on “Part I,” D’Angelo even addresses the heartthrob status of his youth, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek way: “So if you're wondering about the shape I'm in, I hope it ain't my abdomen that you're referring to.”
i don’t intend to talk about every song here — otherwise, we’d be here all day!5 but i will say that “The Charade” gets stuck in my head fairly often and the “lalalas” on “Till It’s Done (Tutu)” are soothing to the spirit. it’s also rare that i’ll listen to “Sugah Daddy” without the accompaniment of a stank face (one of the highest non-verbal compliments when it comes to music).
my favorite song on this album is actually the closer, “Another Life.” the introductory chords make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. it feels simultaneously final and hopeful. it leaves “The Door” open for another D’Angelo album — if he keeps up a similar pattern between releases, there’s only four years left of this current waiting period!6
i’ll return to D’Angelo, his sound, and his divinely-inspired album art next month when i explore the 25th anniversary of Voodoo. in the meantime, i recommend you give Black Messiah a listen.
suggested reading: Funk the Erotic: Transaesthetics and Black Sexual Cultures by L.H Stallings.
this seems like a good opportunity to revisit afropsychedelia before i update the series next year.
Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Sly Stone, Funkadelic, Prince, and The Beatles among them.
when she learned that her voice was included in the final recording, Figueroa described the feeling to Remezcla as “utterly bittersweet” and “painful as hell,” but also “very emotional, very beautiful.”
recommended viewing: this brief documentary, which includes an interview with Brent Fischer, a composer, arranger, and producer credited for the strings on “Really Love.”
unless he decides to go double or nothing. i wouldn’t put it past such an elusive icon.