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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

1995

Buy At Rough Trade
Brown Sugar
Album Summary

Brown Sugar is the debut studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on July 3, 1995, through EMI. The album was recorded during 1994 and 1995 in sessions at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City and at the Pookie Lab in Sacramento. Its production, instrumentation, arrangements, and songwriting were primarily handled by D'Angelo, who employed both vintage recording equipment and modern electronic devices. The songs feature earnest lyrics about love and romance, set against a fusion of contemporary R&B and traditional soul music with elements of funk, quiet storm, and hip hop music. Brown Sugar debuted at number six on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart, selling 300,000 copies in its first two months. With the help of its four singles, it spent 65 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and received platinum certification within a year of its release. Brown Sugar was also met with widespread acclaim and earned D'Angelo several accolades, including four Grammy Award nominations. Regarded by music journalists as a pivotal release in neo soul, the album brought commercial exposure to the burgeoning musical movement amid the prominence of producer-driven, digitally approached R&B.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.9

Votes

12916

Genres

  • Soul

Reviews

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Jan 26 2022
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2

This album was definitely a cornerstone for the genre, pulls in a lot of great ideas, and D’Angelo is a competent singer. But man, I just did not enjoy this. He may be a good singer, but he is also a boring one. No excitement, the same energy the whole way through. And the melodies don’t help either. What’s the opposite of an ear worm? They seemed to slide off the folds of my brain and out my ears before the songs even ended. If they ever would end; the songs all go on for two or three minutes doing nothing new or interesting. I see why people like this, but it has so many of my pet peeves baked into it.

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Mar 11 2021
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2

Very soulful and chill sounding. Great instrumentals create a true R&B experience. The lyrics weren't my speed, they were overly sexual without the nuance. It was very to the point where as other R&B achieves the same sensuality but in a more poetic way. His voice is great and I think for a debut this one was ok. It's like "getting in the mood music but for high-schoolers"(Which I might have rated higher 20 years ago)

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Jul 13 2021
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2

Sure, it's peak 90s R&B but is that really saying much? For what it is, it's good. It's just that what it is isn't much, you know? It's an entire album of shallow sexism wrapped in a thin veneer of so-called romance. Nah. Pass.

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Mar 18 2021
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2

dear lord am i glad that's over.

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Jan 07 2021
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4

8/10 smooth, buttery smooth, smooth, I feel made love to by D'Angelo's pure, primal, non-toxic, sexual, raw smoothness

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Jan 27 2021
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2

He’s got a nice voice but I honestly hate this kind of music

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Jun 08 2021
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5

My goodness, I love neo-soul. D'Angelo's voice is nothing short of heavenly. That voice combined with groovy, soulful instrumentals makes Brown Sugar an R&B classic. Some standout tracks include Alright, When We Get By, and Brown Sugar.

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Jun 28 2021
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5

FIVE STARS!!!!! FIVE STARS!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!

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Dec 28 2023
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2

“Uhhh kissing you, kissing me, squeezing yo butt cheeks, Putin’ my bologna pony in yo minestrone, talking’ ‘bout sex whooo whooo” every song basically

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Mar 18 2021
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1

The best bit was the wiki. I found this tediously dull

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Oct 18 2023
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5

An outstanding debut from a singular voice. Muhammad, Saadiq and Powers are a heck of production team. It’s layered into some kind of futuristic version of Sly’s late 70’s sound. It’s also very of its moment and as such transcends space and time. It’s also glorious booty call music.

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Aug 23 2023
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5

This album was fire during my University years. People lost their damned minds when D’Angelo came to town to perform. A re-listen rekindles. This was the start of neo-soul.

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Apr 07 2021
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5

Better than Maxwell's Hang Suite, would get away with it on a first date.

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Apr 06 2023
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1

Saw the cover and thought this is gonna be awful. By half way through the first song that was confirmed. Somehow, it then continued to get worse. It manages to offend and bore me at the same time.

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Sep 29 2022
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1

Ma che noia… musica da salone di bellezza Non mi capacito sia inserito tra i 1001

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Jun 27 2024
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5

The Soulquarian era of music in the late 90s and early 2000s is simply the most beautiful thing to me. I’ve never seen such an amazing selection of people come together like that. Beyond the original members that started the collective, you had insane talents like Erykah Badu, Bilal, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common. These people created some of the greatest R&B and hip-hop albums of all time. D'Angelo happens to be one of those original members. And this man is a mystical figure. I didn’t really get why the episode of Atlanta that was all about the main character trying to meet D'Angelo was so funny until I learned of his reputation. For how good his music is, this man has released a tragically low number of records. Brown Sugar is the first of those three. His output is so consistent, and so even if this is seen as a good album, it’s still probably regarded as the worst of the three. But I still went in excited. Nothing was going to sway me. I was ready to love this. And love it I did. It’s pretty obvious to me that this man has a deeper connection to the soul. Write it into history, because it’s a fucking fact. Reading some of the less than positive reviews of this blew my mind. I couldn’t believe how many people really didn’t enjoy this. Music is subjective obviously, but in my mind, this comes off as an under appreciated classic based on those reviews. Even for a mid 90s album, this clearly defined so much of the neo-soul and R&B movement of that time period. Anybody with knowledge in either of those genres can see that. I guess I can sort of understand why people aren’t interested in this. This is very slowly, and has no desire to speed things up. It’s methodical, and spends more time with subtleties. For how many vocal tracks they have running at the same time, this actually never feels too in your face. The vocals are the focus and the instrumentals, while amazing all around, are not what you should be expecting to be blown away by. I don’t even think this is too overly rooted in “hyper sexuality” as people claim it is. This is one of the most sensual and intimate albums I’ve ever heard, but I’m totally into it. This was so awesome, I put on Voodoo on my way home from work. Unfortunately that album is not on this list, so I won’t ever get the chance to talk about it. Rating: 9/10

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Jun 26 2024
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4

No. 207/1001 Brown Sugar 4/5 Alright 4/5 Jonz in my Bonz 3/5 Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine 4/5 Shit, Damn, Motherfucker 3/5 Smooth 3/5 Cruisin 4/5 When We Get By 3/5 Lady 4/5 Higher 3/5 Average: 3,5 Really cool, soulful album.

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Jun 10 2024
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4

Not really my usual type of music, but enjoyable all the same. Particularly the smooth bass lines and production throughout. It's impressive how many instruments D'Angelo played himself on here! On the negative side, I did find it a bit repetitive, and the lyrics are often so to-the-point horny that they are borderline creepy. Title track is great though, as well as a few others. I prefer his later album, Black Messiah, as it has more political lyrics and is a bit more varied and jazzy. This one is mainly just about boning, which is fine too I guess. 7/10

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May 30 2024
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4

This was very enjoyable, smooth as fuck.

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Apr 10 2024
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3

Funky, jazz-infused R&B with a strong mid 90’s vibe, so your mileage may vary, if you’re looking for something that doesn’t feel tied down to an era.

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Jan 31 2022
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2

Not really the kind of music that I choose to listen to but, this is a very nice album. I like his version of Crusin' but it isn't unique enough from the original Smokey Robinson version to make it stand out. It is nice that he is able to bring the song to a new generation of fans. 2/5

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Jan 24 2022
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2

It's rhythmic, not unnecessarily profane, and kind of works as an ode for his beloved... but there's just way too much cliche going on here. Way too much... not sure if his version of "cruisin" is better than Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow's version...

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Feb 19 2021
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2

Dated, but a couple of cracking shagging songs. 3/10

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Jun 29 2021
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2

1/2 really not my jam. the music itself is pleasant enough, the singing is a lot of moany noises.

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Dec 22 2020
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2

Not my music but nice when played in the background

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Mar 29 2023
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1

Shocked at how boring and not good this was. I'm amazed this is always so critically acclaimed, other than the first track it put me to sleep.

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Mar 29 2023
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1

Rubbish. Boring, whiny RnB, like there's good RnB but this was terrible. Who even is D'Angelo? Literally never heard of him. Too many of the songs were drawn out and way too much of that "woo woo yah yah" crooning that kinda gives me the ick. Best: Brown Sugar Worst: When We Get By

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Mar 05 2023
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1

Urghgghhhhhhhhhhh A mix of cringe and boring. Just not an enjoyable record at all. Would not listen again. Best track: Lady Worst track: Alright, Jonz in my Bonz, Higher, Brown Sugar, Cruising

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Feb 27 2023
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1

Awful. Repetitive. I had to keep skipping to the next song because the repetition was getting on my nerves.

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Feb 26 2023
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1

eu ouvi a primeira musica, tem um som legal mas n é muito meu tipo de musica. prefiro o dos stones

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Feb 09 2023
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1

This Neo soul is really not my jam. Couldn't get thru this one and for the record, the Stones did Brown Sugar better.

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Jan 27 2023
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1

imagine my disappointment when i found out this isn't about heroin.

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Jan 20 2023
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1

This music makes me very nervous, overproduced, all character removed, like swimming in a pool instead of a sea full of waves.

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Nov 25 2022
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1

Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.

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Nov 25 2022
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1

He's got a good voice but R&B does nothing for me. Lyrically uninteresting. Would not listen again

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Oct 12 2022
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1

p769. 1995. 1 star. The background music they use in stores selling Gwyneth Paltrow's "This Smells Like My Vagina" candles. Wannabe Marvin Gaye for the 90s, only without the talent or the voice. This was a key influence on Craig David - so! We finally have someone to blame! Can't be doing with high pitched male voices, especially when they are used on such bland material. This is soulless and instantly forgettable.

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Jul 28 2022
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1

Is there a sexy word for ‘boring’?

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Jul 20 2022
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1

Is mid-90s neo-soul the hardest genre to listen to now? Beware of any artist who has his/her top off in their photos as a USP. One star for the first track, but boy this is inconsequential.

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Jul 18 2022
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1

Doesn't even scrape a 2. It's really dull musically, and the lyrics are both cliches and throwbacks to the creepy lyrics you'd get in 50s/60s music but without the innocence that gave the oldies a bit of an excuse. Would've got a 2 had I only been half listening to it, but the lyrics drop it down to a 1 as it made it actively unpleasant to listen to.

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Jul 10 2022
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1

I mean, it's not literally the worst thing I've ever heard... but... it's not great. His falsetto sucks and the whole thing felt bland and boring after the first song. That being said, 'Shit, Damn, Motherfucker' is clearly the pinnacle of songwriting and no one should attempt to surpass it. I like how he said the three words over and over and over and over. Quality stuff. This album did help me find religion, though. I didn't think at the beginning that I would be praying for it to be over, but here I am.

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Jun 17 2022
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1

Schmoov futhermucker. Never been my thang.

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Jun 16 2022
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1

Not my bag. The two albums I had before this were absolute bangers so only fair I get this to even things out.

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May 20 2022
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1

This was exactly the kind of nothing R&B bilge that used to get me really animated in the 90s. Not now though, I’m chill. 😎

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Dec 06 2024
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5

ngl, really good. dunno about the history stuff but this feels like the progenitor of black music's shift from being primarily blues to soul. you can feel the blend as the album progresses. 9/10

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Nov 18 2024
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5

Wow I usually don't care for R&B from this era but liked this one a lot, especially compared to Maxwells album but it’s been a couple years since hearing that one. Definitely gonna have to listen to more of his stuff. It’s not excessively long like other R&B either. Rating: 4.8

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Nov 07 2024
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5

This is top-tier panty-dropper R&B/Soul. The vocals are amazing, the grooves are filthy and the bass playing elicited a number of stank-face reactions throughout the album. 5 stars.

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Oct 17 2024
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5

the heavy jazz influences from the chords to the melodies are in perfect harmony with the drums (both live and sampled) and the R&B crooning that just is so tasteful and glorious. Incredible album.

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Sep 20 2024
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5

Brown Sugar is D'Angelo's debut album, and may be the album that started the neo-soul wave of the late 90's and the aughts. D'Angelo makes soulful R&B, that has incorporated the timing of hip-hop of the 90s. The songs are centered around D'Angelo's incredible voice, at time utilizing falsetto in his expressive vocals. The bass-heavy orchestrations sound like traditional R&B; D'Angelo adds break-beats and the lyrical timing of hip-hop in his rendition of R&B.

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Sep 05 2024
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5

Every D'Angelo album should be on here. Superb 5/5

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Aug 29 2024
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5

I bought this album way back when it first came out. It's one of the best R&B albums of the 90s. I highly recommend anyone who loves R&B or is curious about the genre to listen to this album.

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Aug 28 2024
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5

One of my favorite albums of the mid to late 90's

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Jul 28 2024
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5

Going into this album, I thought I was stepping into a hip-hop album, but instead I got something way cooler and more chill. This is really enjoyable—Neo Soul, I guess they call it. It brings back memories of the late ’90s, listening to underground DJ mixes, especially those chill acid jazz mixes. It’s something you’d expect to hear on Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz series. This is definitely an album I’ll save to my list of future listens.

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Jul 22 2024
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5

The sound of being slowly caressed under silk bedsheets; crafted with the intricacy of a Swiss watch, where you find a new detail every time you look at it; and a voice that could impregnate me, despite the fact that I don’t have a uterus. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. I love Neo-soul in general, but D’Angelo is on a whole other level. And even though I subjectively love this record, objectively speaking, Brown Sugar is probably the least essential album in his discography. All three of his albums should be on this list, and that is not up for debate.

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Jul 19 2024
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5

‘Brown Sugar’ is not even my favourite D’Angelo album (that would be ‘Voodoo’), but this one is still fire. It’s low key and languid, jazzy, and funky, and D’Angelo’s vocals are just pure honey. The O.G neo-soul album and still an excellent listen. No doubt the soundtrack to many a successful baby-making session.

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Jul 04 2024
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5

D'Angelo is really beyond compare when it comes to interesting and catchy R&B. His more recent album Black Messiah won me over and is an easy 5/5 for me. Brown Sugar may be a bit more traditional, but the songs are catchy, and break the mold of what you'd typically think is an R&B song. I have few complaints about this album, other than it wasn't as experimental as Black Messiah (but BM came out almost 20 years later!) 4.5/5 -> 5/5.

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Jun 25 2024
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5

Something special was brewing within the soul music genre in the mid 1990s. After a couple of years seeking to look forwards, the only way it could continue to do so is if it would start to look backwards. That's when the admittedly dreadfully named neo-soul genre started to emerge, with D'Angelo's Brown Sugar sowing the seeds. With its warm, inviting yet slightly enigmatic aura, Brown Sugar not only sweetens the pot but also keeps it spicy when applicable (but never overtly). D'Angelo perfectly got, with his first record, the essence of what soul music was about and it would be that perfection that he would obtain once more before losing his way and coming back again. But this was a hell of a first shot and it's a good thing that we kept coming for more.

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May 16 2024
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5

One of those rare trifectas of amazing vocals, savant musicians hip, and generally being cool as hell

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Apr 18 2024
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5

This is the peak. Mastery of form. It doesn’t get much better than this. One of my favorites that I’ve listened to at least 100 times. So good.

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Apr 18 2024
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5

I love D'angelo, his music draws form so many places but is uniquely his. Though Voodoo will always be better for me this album is still pretty fantastic. And for a debut album it's even more impressive. The songs sound both classic and modern and the fact that he wrote and plays most of the instruments on here is wild too (although shout out to Will Lee who plays bass on the final track). The whole album oozes soul and he really is a master of the genre, My favorites are "Brown Sugar", "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" and his cover of "Cruisin"

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Apr 09 2024
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5

A Neo-Soul landmark, it retains a consistent chill vibe with funky beats, jazzy grooves, and pop hooks. His vocals at time reminds me of Sly and at times Al Green. It's what neo-soul is all about. Taking what the likes of Al Green and Stevie Wonder started in the 70s, and showing what could be done in a modern context, with 90s pop and hip hop production. I think he's the only neo-soul artist who doesn't rap either? (At least in the Soulquarians movement.) Nearly every song is a hit imo. The two weaknesses: it's too long at 53 minutes, and it starts off slow. "Brown Sugar" is a strong start, but I thought "Alright" and "Jonz in My Bonz" were the weakest despite the incredible production work. It picks up with the funk and energy from there. I also wasn't too big of a fan of "Higher" after so many tracks I loved, but I admire the gospel vocals. Maybe if it were shorter and ended on a more satisfying touch. With so many deep cuts I love beyond the hits, it's a record I will frequently return to. I could definitely see this album be a bit stronger, but most of it is gold, and there isn't any other album that better represents neo-soul in its purest form.

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Feb 29 2024
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5

this is such a pleasant listening experience take a shot every time this guy says a shade of brown. like it’s very probable this is something that’s just going over my head but what is chocolate lemonade?

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Feb 21 2024
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5

Find die Musig eifach extrem cool. Vocals mega cool, band au mega cool. Sicher au under de liebevoll hornigste musig vo sinere ziit (nöd nur ide lyrics). Ich los vo ihm eigentlich nur immer s ganze Album und je noch Mood fühl ichs mengmol nöd so oder aber ich wird Background Sänger und es absorbiert mich voll für e stund.

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Feb 20 2024
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5

So damn good. S-t Damn Motherf-ker and Higher are the highlights. But several more great ones. The bass sound on Lady is dreamy. I dismissed this guy as some basic R&B crooner in the 90s. First, the music is better. Second, he wrote it. Third, he plays not just sings. I'm sorry D'Angelo, I did not give you a chance until now.

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Feb 16 2024
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5

I want some of your brown boogers (doodoodoo) Another 5.

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Feb 14 2024
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5

I’m too shy to listen to this!

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Jan 17 2024
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5

Bas mi je dobar! Bio je ful lijep dan jucer, kuhala sam rucak i slusala ovo i bas je super sjelo!! Favorit je shit, damn, motherfucker ofc

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Jan 17 2024
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5

fave track: lady final thoughts: d'angelo i <3 u

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Jan 17 2024
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5

i love love LOVE this album omg. i wasn't too sure on d'angelo as i wasn't the biggest fan of voodoo. but mannnn i enjoyed every song on here! the funk aspect, the soul elements, the jazz inspiration. guys it all comes together to create a beautiful, sensual, HORNY album (heavy on the horny, goddamn). i feel like this is my sign to revisit voodoo tbh because i feel like i misjudged this man, he's a talent no doubt about it

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Dec 03 2023
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5

timeless. Impossible not to start dancing.

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Nov 15 2023
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5

Wow. Another one I’ve never given a second thought to. This really surprised me. Not something I’d have enjoyed as a youth, but damn this is flowy. It’s so jammable. This didn't feel difficult at all.

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Oct 18 2023
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5

the combination of classic soul influences, hip-hop beats & D's silky, buttery voice is just too immaculate for words. My favourite D'Angelo album & quite possibly my favourite album of the entire 1990s decade!

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Oct 15 2023
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5

Wow, i knew it would be good, but i didnt expect it to be THIS good! The star of the show here are the basslines, but everything about this record is awesome.

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