Beyoncé Pays Tribute to D’Angelo: ‘The Pioneer of Neo-Soul’

Following the death of D’Angelo, who died on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the age of 51 after battling cancer, artists across the world paid tribute to the revered trailblazer. Beyoncé was among those honoring his legacy, writing a poignant message in remembrance of his work.

We thank you for your beautiful music, your voice, your proficiency on the piano, your artistry,” she penned on her website. “You were the pioneer of Neo-soul and that changed and transformed rhythm & blues forever. We will never forget you.”

D’Angelo’s three solo albums — his debut Brown Sugar, 2000’s Voodoo, and 2014’s Black Messiah — all garnered critical praise and reached the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, with Voodoo taking Number One. The LP’s single, “Untitled (How Does it Feel),” featuring a one-shot video of a naked D’Angelo singing the track to the camera, became one of his signature songs and earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance (one of four he won throughout his career).

It was a during a medley of this memorable track and Black Messiah‘s “Sugah Daddy” for a performance at the 2012 BET Awards that saw Beyoncé and Solange dancing to the song from the audience, the moment marked his first televised performance in a dozen years and about two years before he would release his epic, Black Messiah.

Among his peers that also remembered the visionary were Nile Rodgers, Missy Elliott, and Tyler, the Creator. “I couldn’t understand how someone could write something so simple but personal but broad but genius,” said Tyler when recalling the influence D’Angelo’s “One Mo’Gin” had on his own work. “That’s how special he was. A savant. A true alien. We are so lucky to have been alive to enjoy his art. My musical DNA was helped shaped by this man. Forever grateful. Safe travels.”