Looking Back at D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” — The Song That Redefined Soul Music and Transformed His Career 25 Years Ago
When D’Angelo released “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” in 2000, he probably didn’t know he was about to redefine an entire era of R&B — and his own image forever. The song, with its hypnotic groove and sensual delivery, wasn’t just another single from his critically acclaimed album Voodoo — it became a cultural moment. Twenty-five years later, fans are still talking about it, especially now as they reflect on his passing at 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer.
At its core, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” was a slow-burning neo-soul masterpiece. It was steeped in influences from legends like Prince and Al Green, yet D’Angelo made it entirely his own. The track’s simplicity — the lingering bass, the falsetto vocals, the intimate pacing — created something deeply human and raw. It was the kind of song that didn’t just play through speakers; it filled rooms, stirred emotions, and made listeners stop whatever they were doing to feel it.
But what truly catapulted the song to another level was its music video. Directed by Paul Hunter, the visual stripped away everything but D’Angelo himself — literally. Filmed in one continuous shot, the video showed the artist standing against a black background, glistening under soft light, as the camera slowly zoomed in on his body. It was bold, intimate, and unlike anything the music world had seen before. To some, it was sensual artistry at its finest; to others, it was controversial.
What no one could deny was the impact. Overnight, D’Angelo became a sex symbol — a label he never asked for and, as close friends would later say, never wanted. In the years following its release, he spoke openly about feeling uncomfortable with how the world began to view him. The focus shifted from his musicianship to his physique, and the artist who had always seen himself as a vessel for sound and spirit suddenly found himself treated like an object of desire.
Still, that moment — both celebrated and scrutinized — changed the trajectory of his career. Voodoo went on to win two Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album, and “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” earned Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. But beyond awards, it cemented D’Angelo’s place in history as one of the defining voices of modern soul — a man who fused classic emotion with contemporary honesty in a way few others could.
As time went on, D’Angelo pulled back from the spotlight. Fame had taken its toll, and he disappeared from the public eye for over a decade. Yet when he returned in 2014 with Black Messiah, his brilliance was still intact. His sound had evolved — more political, more urgent — but that same vulnerability and sincerity remained. “Untitled” had been the song that brought him global fame, but it also revealed the internal conflict that came with being seen through lenses other than his own.
Now, as fans and fellow artists remember him, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” feels different — not just as a song about intimacy, but as a reflection of who D’Angelo was: a deeply spiritual artist searching for balance between self-expression and public expectation. The track wasn’t merely about seduction; it was about connection — to the body, the soul, and the sound that defined him.
Twenty-five years later, the song still resonates because it reminds us of what made D’Angelo so rare. He wasn’t trying to chase trends or fame — he was chasing truth. And through that, he gave the world something timeless.
