Some albums don’t just make an impact—they shift the culture. D’Angelo’s Voodoo is one of those albums. Released on January 25, 2000, this masterpiece didn’t just redefine R&B—it reshaped the entire landscape of soul music. It was bold, raw, and deeply spiritual, bridging the gap between the lush, groove-heavy soul of the ’70s and the hip-hop-infused R&B of the late ’90s. Even now, 20 years later, its magic still lingers, influencing generations of artists who crave authenticity, musicianship, and that unfiltered, unpolished soul.

 

D’Angelo was already making waves with Brown Sugar, his 1995 debut that introduced the world to a sound both fresh and nostalgic. But Voodoo was something different. It wasn’t just an album—it was a movement. 

 

Recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York, Voodoo was born from hours of studying the greats—Marvin Gaye, Prince, James Brown—while surrounded by some of the most brilliant musical minds of the time. 

​

The Soulquarians—an innovative collective featuring Questlove, J Dilla, James Poyser, and others who helped shape the album’s organic, jam-session energy.

 

From the bass-heavy notes of “Playa Playa” to the fade-out of “Africa,” Voodoo is a masterclass in groove and feeling.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracks like “The Line” speak to resilience, while “Send It On” channels the warmth of classic soul sounds similar to Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder.

 

 And then there’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”—simmering like a seven-minute classic no one on Earth can forget. That iconic video alone was an undeniable nod to Prince’s essence and music. 

 

Beyond the music, Voodoo was a statement. At a time when mainstream R&B was becoming more polished and commercial, D’Angelo took it back to the essence—live instruments, raw production, real emotion. 

It wasn’t about radio hits; it was about feeling. That spirit inspired a wave of artists and their sound like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Maxwell, and so many others who carried the neo-soul torch.

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

It’s no surprise that Voodoo topped critics’ lists and won a Grammy for Best R&B Album. Rolling Stone later ranked it among the greatest albums of all time, calling it “radical” even years after its release. But beyond accolades, its true legacy lies in the way it made people feel—how it captured the soul of a generation and gave future artists permission to create without boundaries.

 

Even now, Voodoo remains untouchable—a testament to what happens when an artist fully surrenders to the music. Two decades later, its magic still works, proving that real soul never fades.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​