Remembering D’Angelo’s Sexiest Moments On His 52nd Birthday

D'Angelo In Concert - Atlanta, GA — D’Angelo performs onstage at The Tabernacle on June 14, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

The world is still mourning the death of Grammy award-winning R&B singer D’Angelo, who passed away last October at age 51 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Today would have been the Brown Sugar crooner’s 52nd birthday. In celebration of his life and music, we remember the legendary icon with a gallery of his sexiest moments inside.

Grammys Greatness

The Virginia-born soul singer, known for his velvet voice, vulnerability, and raw sensuality, was recently honored during the 2026 Grammy Awards. Lauryn Hill curated an emotional In Memoriam tribute honoring the neo-soul architect and legendary vocalist Roberta Flack. The result was one of the night’s most powerful moments.

D'Angelo live in Concert - Sacramento — Source: J. Shearer / Getty

Where It All Started

D’Angelo first captured hearts in 1995 with his debut album, Brown Sugar, a project that immediately established him as a revolutionary voice in R&B. But it was his 2000 single “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” that changed everything. The video, directed by Paul Hunter, stripped away artifice, showing D’Angelo standing alone against a black backdrop, appearing nude, crooning about intimacy in a way that was both vulnerable and magnetic. The visual became one of the most talked-about moments in music video history, redefining sensuality through the male gaze.

How Does It Feel

The song earned him a Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and the video cemented his status as an R&B sex symbol. Still, beyond the headlines, D’Angelo’s allure came from his sincerity. His lyrics and delivery embodied a deeper conversation about love, vulnerability, and Black masculinity.

Throughout his career, he collaborated with icons like Jay-Z, Q-Tip, and Snoop Dogg, influencing generations of artists from Frank Ocean to Anderson .Paak. Albums like Voodoo and Black Messiah further showcased D’Angelo’s timeless artistry—an art grounded in soul, resistance, and spirituality.

His Legacy Continues

Before his passing, friend and collaborator Raphael Saadiq shared on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast that D’Angelo had been working on new material, describing him as “excited” and creatively inspired.

Today, fans remember not only the man who made us all blush with “How Does It Feel” but the artist who made us feel—period.

Check out D’Angelo’s sexiest moments below:

1. 9th Annual MTV Movie Awards

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, shirtless with a black headband and black trousers, in the press room of the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000.

2. Heartthrob

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, shirtless with a black headband and black trousers, in the press room of the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000.

3. Screaming

D’Angelo performs on the ‘2000 MTV Movie Awards’ at the Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, Ca. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

4. That Voice

D’Angelo performing in Chicago, Illinois on April 4, 2000 (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)

5. Ladies Love D’Angelo

The ladies always loved D’Angelo. CIRCA 2000: (Photo by Nicky J. Sims/Redferns)

6. Punching The Air At This News

D’Angelo, performing on stage, Axion Beach Rock Festival, Zeebrugge, Belgium, 15th July 2000. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)

7. Live At Le Bataclan

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 15: D’Angelo performs live on stage at le Bataclan, on July 15, 2012, Paris, France. (Photo by SADIA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

8. Sexy At Hollywood Premieres

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, wearing sunglasses and a black leather coat, attends the Hollywood premiere of ‘Scream 2’, held at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in the Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, 10th December 1997. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

9. And Always Sexy On Stage

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, wearing an open black shirt with his chest exposed, attends the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

10. One Of Our Favorites

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, wearing an open black shirt with his chest exposed, attends the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

11. A True Legend

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, wearing an open black shirt with his chest exposed, attends the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

12. Look At The Smize

Singer/Songwriter D’Angelo And The Vanguard perform at Club Nokia on June 8, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/WireImage)

13. Yessss

14. Like Come On

Singer D’Angelo walks backstage at the VH1 special concert “Men Strike Back” 11 April, 2000, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

15. A Masterpiece

August 3 D’Angelo backstage at KMEL Summer Jam 1996 at Shoreline Amphitheater. Event held on August 3, 1996 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

16. Lip To Mic Is Wild & We Love It

D’Angelo performs during KMEL Summer Jam at Shoreline Amphitheatre on August 3, 1996 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

17. Even In Motion, He’s Hot

BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 24: D’Angelo performs live for fans at the 2016 Byron Bay Bluesfest on March 24, 2016 in Byron Bay, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

18. Forever Bae

D’Angelo during D’Angelo Live in Concert – Sacramento at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)

19. Abs Only God Could Etch

D’Angelo performs on the ‘2000 MTV Movie Awards’ at the Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, Ca. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

20. We Love You D’Angelo

Singer D’Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer) performs on stage at the Aire Crown Theater, Chicago, Illinois, April 4, 2000. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

21. A Man

American singer and songwriter D’Angelo, shirtless with a black headband and black trousers, in the press room of the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, held at Sony Pictures Studios, in Culver City, California, 3rd June 2000.