You’d be forgiven for thinking that Justin Timberlake‘s biggest musical influence was Michael Jackson, but it turns out that neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo, who died Tuesday of pancreatic cancer at age 51, was his true north star.
Justin posted a photo of himself at age 19 with the R&B star, best known for his song “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and its sexy naked video, on his Instagram Story, along with a heartfelt essay. “I’ll never forget hearing Brown Sugar for the first time. It changed me. You changed me,” he wrote about D’Angelo’s classic 1995 debut album.
“It was the most pivotal moment in establishing confidence in my own voice,” he continued. “For the first time, I heard a sound that reflected the sounds I grew up with — early R&B, but ‘now’ it was intertwined with a modern edge. The chords and arrangement carried a mixture of church/jazz/funk. The harmonies delicately dancing with one another. It sat in my spirit and always will.”
JT then writes that he was “changed once again” by D’Angelo’s second album, Voodoo, which he calls “absolutely transcendent.” He says seeing D’Angelo during that tour was “one of the best concert experiences of my life,” and recalls meeting the singer backstage “and tell[ing] you how in awe I was of you.”
“You were very kind. Under-spoken. I will never forget that,” he adds.
After praising D’Angelo’s third and final album, Black Messiah, Justin concludes, “You took R&B and put it in all capitals. Meshed it with something else and changed the landscape. Made it something more. Your contribution will always be remembered.”
He concluded, “1 of 1. RIP trailblazer. With love, one of your biggest fans.”
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