Voodoo (D'Angelo Album)

Voodoo (D'Angelo Album)

Voodoo is the second studio album by American recording artist D'Angelo, released January 25, 2000, on Virgin Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1998 to 1999 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, featuring an extensive line-up of musicians associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Produced primarily by D'Angelo, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). The album features lyrical themes regarding spirituality, love, sexuality, growth, and fatherhood.

Amid heavy promotion and an anticipated release, the album was released to commercial and critical success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 320,000 copies in its first week, and spent 33 weeks on the chart. It was promoted with five singles, including the hit single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", whose music video garnered D'Angelo mainstream attention and controversy. Upon its release, Voodoo received general acclaim from music critics and earned D'Angelo several accolades. It was named one of the year's best albums by numerous publications.

The album is D'Angelo's last studio album prior to a sabbatical period of legal controversies and absence from the music scene, following the end of the album's international supporting tour in late 2000. While successful early on, the tour eventually became marked by concert cancellations and D'Angelo's personal frustrations. Voodoo has been regarded by music writers as D'Angelo's masterpiece and a creative milestone of the neo soul genre. It has sold over 1.7 million copies in the United States and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).