Fans, peers, and more flocked to D’Angelo’s catalog shortly after the legendary singer passed away on Oct. 14. Whether by revisiting classic songs or studying albums for the first time, the Virginia native saw his streams skyrocket.
According to “Billboard,” D’Angelo’s song catalog pulled in 16.1 million official on-demand streams from Oct. 10 through Oct. 16, a 796% increase from the 1.8 million on-demand streams from the previous week. Three of those songs, “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” “Brown Sugar,” and “Lady,” all registered over 1.9 million streams by themselves. Those songs were D’Angelo’s highest-charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with “Lady” peaking at No. 10, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” at 25, and “Brown Sugar” at No. 27.
Those songs also debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, which Billboard created in 2012. “Untitled” starts at No. 7, “Lady” right behind at No. 8 and “Brown Sugar” at No. 10. Two songs from D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah” also charted on the Hot R&B Songs chart with “Really Love” (No. 14) and “Sugah Daddy” (No. 22), both of which peaked one month after the album’s release in December 2014.
With only three official albums in 30 years, D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, found a way to establish himself as one of the signature voices of the ‘90s and 2000s. 1995’s “Brown Sugar” defined a generation and helped usher in “neo-soul,” a term for the smooth, alternative R&B from Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and more. “Voodoo,” released five years later, was a sharp turn, diving deeper into funk, hip-hop, R&B, and gospel, and is widely regarded as his finest work. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, D’Angelo’s lone No. 1 album, earning him two Grammy wins. Fourteen years after “Voodoo,” D’Angelo returned with “Black Messiah,” a critically acclaimed work that earned him two more Grammy wins.
Tributes poured in immediately after D’Angelo’s passing, ranging from Beyoncé to two of his children, Imani Archer and Michael Archer Jr., his son, whom he shared with singer Angie Stone.
In a heartfelt tribute on her website, Beyoncé wrote, “Rest in peace, Michael Eugene Archer, known to the world of music as the inimitable D’Angelo. We thank you for your beautiful music, your voice, your proficiency on the piano, your artistry.”
“You were the pioneer of neo-soul and that changed and transformed rhythm & blues forever,” the “Halo” singer continued. “We will never forget you.”
