The 4 time Grammy award winner will face off against unnamed “friends” in a Verzuz episode on February 27th.
What We Know:
- This is the first time a Verzuz announcement hasn’t name-dropped all of the artists participating in the event. It’s implied that the format on this episode of Versuz will play out differently than previous iterations. The special guests have not been named yet, but it’s implied that D’Angelo’s Verzuz spot will be a collaborative performance instead of the “battle” angle.
- D’Angelo is another ideal candidate for the show as his career spans nearly 3 decades. D’Angelo made his debut with Brown Sugar in 1995. His last album, Black Messiah, won 2 Grammys in 2016 for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Song. The album was released 14 years after Voodoo, which also won 2 Grammys in 2001.
- The first Verzuz show of 2021 featured Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole and garnered a total of 11.3 million on-demand streams. Artists are usually participating in their own respective locations, but D’Angelo’s show will be taking place at the legendary Apollo Theater. The Apollo Theater first opened its doors in 1914 and is responsible for the rise of the jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul genres.
- The Verzuz announcement comes as big news for the normally reclusive artist. His last live performance was in 2016 at the Roots Picnic in New York. The Verzuz episode also appears to come in anticipation of a new album from D’Angelo. He announced on an Instagram live with DJ D-Nice, that his 4th album was on the way.
Verzuz continues to entertain us all in a pandemic with its exciting lineup of artists.
