Black Messiah (album)

Black Messiah
Studio album by D'Angelo and the Vanguard
Released	December 15, 2014
Recorded	2002–2014
Studio	MSR, Sear Sound, Avatar, and Quad Recording in New York City Henson Recording and The Plant in Los Angeles Hydra SF
Genre	Progressive soul funk R&B neo soul jazz-funk rock
Length	55:54
Label	RCA
Producer	D'Angelo
D'Angelo chronology
The Best So Far (2008) Black Messiah (2014)
Singles from Black Messiah
"Really Love" Released: December 15, 2014[1] "Betray My Heart" Released: June 9, 2015

Black Messiah is the third studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, credited to D'Angelo and the Vanguard. It was released on December 15, 2014, through RCA Records, more than a decade after his previous solo release Voodoo.^[2] The album was produced and mostly written by D'Angelo, who collaborated with musicians including percussionist Questlove, bassist Pino Palladino, guitarist Isaiah Sharkey, and horn player Roy Hargrove. He pursued an entirely analog and murky funk sound for the record, lending it comparisons to the 1971 Sly & the Family Stone album There's a Riot Goin' On.^[3]

Black Messiah was among 2014's most highly anticipated albums and was released to critical acclaim, later being ranked as one of the year's best albums. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard charts and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling over 117,000 units in its first week. Black Messiah was promoted with the release of the single "Really Love" and a tour called The Second Coming.