In Plain Sight will take a look at songs from popular albums or classics that, for one reason or another, seem to get overlooked–tracks hidden in plain sight. Gotta give the deep cuts their shine!
You know the album: Voodoo. Naturally, you know the video: “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” a shirtless D’Angelo belting and skin-bearing his way to becoming an sex symbol. The album itself, presenting a progression from the jazzy jamming of Brown Sugar to a sleeker take on hip-hop soul, should have been cause enough to vault him to stardom. Songs like the aforementioned “Untitled” and DJ Premier collab “Devil’s Pie” get the shine and rightfully so. They showcase D’Angelo, bearing the torch lit by the greatest men and women of soul, as a potent songwriter and world weary observer.
But, of course, there still has to be some time to jam. And “Left & Right” is a jam. Bringing eternal party boys Red and Meth along for the show, D’Angelo crafted a perfect encapsulation of his sonic evolution with “Left & Right.” This jam replaced the jazzy meandering of Sugar with a tight, slick groove that still gave him room to stretch out over the track with his signature warbled vocals. “Left & Right” is an infectious reminder of D’Angelo’s potential and of the artistic heights he had already reached by his second album. So throw this one on and hope that his promised third album can stand up to over a decade of playing the shit out of Voodoo.
You might also like
More from News
A Great Night In Hip-Hop. Paying Tribute to Hip-Hop’s Most Iconic Photo at Fotografiska NY
Please join XXL veteran journalists and contributors on May 9, 2023 — Sheena Lester, Datwon Thomas, Bonsu Thompson, Larry Hester, …
SLAUGHTERHOUSE Exclusive! Throwback to The Movement!
RESPECT. Exclusive! Assassination Day! Shady Records’ Slaughterhouse Counts down to The Release of Welcome to Our House. [Straight From The Crate...Originally Captured for RESPECT. …
BREAKING NEWS: MIGOS Legend TAKEOFF Murdered In Houston.
RESPECT. sends its condolences to the entire MIGOS family and relatives of Takeoff regarding the tragedy of his murder at …
