Questlove Teases Posthumous D’Angelo Album
Questlove promises a nostalgic, yet forward-thinking project.
Black News 
At the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson hinted that a posthumous D’Angelo album is on the way.
Though details such as a release date and track list haven’t been revealed, insiders say the project was nearing completion before D’Angelo’s death. “With him, it’s always the sound of yesterday, but for the future,” Questlove said. “This record is no different. You’ll see soon.”
D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, died last month at age 51 from pancreatic cancer.
His influence on modern R&B and soul is immeasurable. Fans have waited for new material since D’Angelo’s 2014 album, Black Messiah. The newly teased release is believed to draw from unreleased sessions and demos recorded in recent years.
In September 2024, Raphael Saadiq spoke about his contribution to the in-progress album on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “I’m playing bass, D’s playing; me and D is singing backgrounds. It’s funky as hell, too. It’s like, D is a bad boy. … It’s aged well. Good music ages well,” Saadiq said of the song, which was recorded years before.
Questlove and D’Angelo’s creative partnership spanned decades. The Roots drummer was an integral part in co-piloting sessions for D’Angelo’s debut album, Brown Sugar. He also contributed to the singer’s sophomore follow-up, Voodoo, which has been hailed as a paradigm-shifting album in soul music.
As the singer’s funeral services were private, many were left without a 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 output, the question is, would he have approved the final versions? Fans will have the final say.
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