D’Angelo was part of the pantheon of Black musical geniuses. Just ask anyone who had the honor of knowing him personally.
His tragic and somewhat sudden death hit hard. Artists and fans were equally distraught. They flooded social media with heartfelt sentiments about what D’Angelo meant to them, how his artistry impacted their lives, and the indelible ways in which his music set a standard and became the blueprint for so many.
Another conversation that began to surface was a tribute performance. Debates formed about which artists should (and shouldn’t) be called, what songs should be sung, which network it should air on, and more.
So, VIBE has carefully laid out what our dream D’Angelo tribute would look like. Whether you agree or not, we just know that when the tribute comes, it better be handled the right way.
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“Brown Sugar” – Jazmine Sullivan
Image Credit: Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE Jazmine’s raspiness and soul-stirring range would be delectably sweet on “Brown Sugar.” She can speak about D’Angelo during the song’s intro before putting her own twang on it. All in all, she would understand the assignment and set the tone.
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“Lady” – Shaé Universe
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Shaé Universe was introduced to many when she covered “Lady” for the Soul Train Awards. Knowing how much raw talent meant to the crooner, it’s only right for the U.K. songstress to bless everyone with her spin on the classic. This song was made for a voice like hers.
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“Cruisin'” – Jamie Foxx
Image Credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Amend There isn’t anything Jamie Foxx can’t sing. His range is superbly documented. Since D’Angelo already made this cover his own, Foxx could strip it down to something more acoustic as he’d coo over the soft melody with a touching anecdote and really honor the late singer’s musicianship. We can also see Raphael Saadiq doing something similar or at least being the musical director behind this moment.
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“Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine” – Maxwell
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for MRC As a fellow neo-soul staple, Maxwell would easily grasp the sensual, intimate nature of “Me And Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine.” It’s a simple serenade that fits in his vocal pocket effortlessly. Not to mention, the way he can invite the crowd into his orbit when the chorus hits…
“Ooh-wee, baby/ You’ve redefined my vision of love it seems (you be the cherry)/ You’re gon’ be the cherry in my chocolate-covered dreams…”
We would all ascend seeing him perform this.
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“Untitled (How Does It Feel)” – DIXSON
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images DIXSON is another one who practically sing anything because it’s something about those gospel roots paired with the reverent sultriness of “Untitled” that really makes the goosebumps on the back of your neck stand up.
As someone who’s seen him perform this record more than once, trust us when we say— DIXSON needs to be called for the tribute to sing this in its entirety, especially for those riffs and runs on the latter half of the song.
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“Send It On” – Luke James
Image Credit: Unique Nicole/Getty Images For NAACP Admittedly, Luke James was shuffled through a few different songs for this tribute because he’s just that good. After narrowing down a setlist, we landed on wanting Luke to sing “Send It On.” Between falsetto, crescendo, and heavenly riffs, this nestles right into Luke’s bag.
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“Sugah Daddy” – Durand Bernarr
Image Credit: Stephanie Augello/Variety via Getty Images Getting into the Black Messiah portion of the show, we’re kicking things off strong with Durand Bernarr putting his stank on “Sugah Daddy.” With his animated expressions and captivating ability to play over a record, he would have so much fun making this song his own. The jazziness, vibrancy, instrumentation of it all— this has Durand all over it.
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“Really Love” – Andra Day
Image Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited It took a minute to decide who could take “Really Love” and give it the justice it deserves. After a bit of rumination, Andra Day was the obvious choice. There’s a delicate rasp on the chorus that would’ve made her perfect for a duet if D’Angelo took it there. There’s also something so sexy about the record’s simplicity and we trust Andra to deliver in a live performance.
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“Another Life” – Anthony Hamilton
Image Credit: Gregg Deguire/Variety via Getty Images Having been one of D’Angelo’s background vocalists, Anthony Hamilton knows his music quite well. This was an easy (like Sunday morning) decision simply because of how well he cater this song to his voice and really give it its own legs.
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“Betray My Heart” – Elmiene
Image Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET The choice wasn’t if Elmiene should be part of a D’Angelo tribute, but instead which song he’d cover. As a newer artist who oozes influence from the musical genius, there were so many traditional selections. However, after listening to Black Messiah with a cautious ear, we heard Elmiene all over “Betray My Heart.” From that infectious melody to the jazz-like lyrical scatting, this felt like something the budding phenom would do during his own concert just for fun.
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“Feel Like Makin’ Love” – H.E.R.
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images The grooviness of “Feel Like Makin’ Love” matches H.E.R.‘s cool demeanor. We also anticipate her reviving the record’s femininity since it’s a Roberta Flack cover. It’s a seamless glide for the multitalented songbird and an easy way to honor Flack, D’Angelo, and J Dilla. She may even breathe new life into it with a guitar solo.
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“Nothing Even Matters” – Lauryn Hill, Miles Caton
Image Credit: Josh Brasted/Getty Images for ESSENCE; Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET After hearing what Miles Caton did for Quincy Jones during the 2025 BET Awards, he should accompany Ms. Lauryn Hill in performing her timeless duet with D’Angelo. It’s something about his bass-baritone that would take things up a notch. If Hill opts out of partaking, H.E.R. is the next best choice since she performed it in a medley during D’Angelo’s VERZUZ and they’ve already sang “Best Part” together. However, seeing Caton and Hill do this together would bridge a generational gap.