Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
1995
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.
WikipediaSure, 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.
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)
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.
Better than Maxwell's Hang Suite, would get away with it on a first date.
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.
8/10 smooth, buttery smooth, smooth, I feel made love to by D'Angelo's pure, primal, non-toxic, sexual, raw smoothness
1/2 really not my jam. the music itself is pleasant enough, the singing is a lot of moany noises.
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...
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
This album is so silky smooth, from start to finish. I love every single song, there's not one on here that I don't love. I think I've fallen in love with this album. 5/5 stars.
Shout out to all the grown-ass adults who were conceived to this album back in the 90s. This is smooth and seductive! I love the sense that the lyrics are utterly at the service of the music and D'Angelo's vocals, more about evoking a mood. It's a dream.
Great debut album - pretty perfect. I say 9/10 but only because the follow-up, Voodoo (assume it is the list too) is even better (10/10).
Superb. 90s R&B at its finest. Every track is gorgeous, and I love his rendition of Smokie Robinson's Cruisin. A new favorite.
Muy bueno, chill, para trabajar o ir de viaje. Hasta para una cena en el lounge.
Not always a huge fan of R&B, but damn, this man has soul. Love the album.
I don't really like rnb/soul music but this floated my boat, pretty impressed. and reading wiki the dude is like a musical genius. wrote and played the whole thing himself, produced most as well. crazy that i'd never even heard of it before. 4/5.
Sweet und sommerlich, urban und zeitlos. Klingt für mein ungeschultes Ohr wie ein männliches Pendant zu Erikah Badu. Perlt, hat die richtige Menge Soul und Jazz. Top-Entdeckung hier, Digger, no diggity!
I think I liked a majority of the album (as in I saved almost 3/4ths of the songs.) But there wasn't any songs that really stood out and forced me to listen on repeat like "Girls just Wanna Have Fun", "Blue Suede Shoes" or "Tutti Frutti". I enjoyed listening to it and will revist it though, it's MORE OF A SOFT FOUR than a HARD FOUR LIKE the other two
4.4 - Sophisticated R&B jams, smooth vocals with radiant falsetto, lush instrumentation. A vibe good enough to warrant an immediate repeat listen.
Pretty good album. Brown Sugar was a great track and liked Crusin’ more than I was expecting. A good mellow sound throughout. Shit, Damn, Motherfucker is an A+ name for a song
Good album. It's weird but I somehow couldn't shake the feeling that the lyrics were nonsense. Maybe something about them being so literal made me feel that way. Honestly I have no idea. His cover of Cruisin' is pretty damn good though.
memories of being in my ex's bunk bed age 14! Very smooth, lovely rich sound. Great voice. Some bits were definitely the inspiration for some Flight Of The Conchords songs.
Musically, a really beautiful album, and D'Angelo's vocals are heavenly. Soulful, sexy, great mood music. Some of the lyrics are a bit much for my old lady ears, but that's me. Fave track: "Alright."
I liked this one! Not that complicated lyrically but for what it is, it's beautiful :)
Aww man the band here is so in the pocket it's ridiculous. Love that jazzy keys sound. First time hearing this album, and it just works straight outta the gate. What a talent! Can't wait to listen to his other albums. Bonus points for naming one song "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker". Is that the greatest song title of all time?! Every track here is awesome.
Will need to listen again, still, definitely enjoyed it. D'Angelo sounds very cool and collected, and the instrumentals were great.
Finally a hip-hop album that is less than an hour long. Not really my type of music but the production is good and there is a sophistication to the sound and to the songs especially that I like and that sets it apart. Some really interesting production touches and instrument choices, Is that vibes I hear in Me and those Dreamin' eyes of Mine? Not sure but that jazzy guitar is really cool. Has a classic soul sound that I like but remains modern. On the negative side; the songs tend to be too long. I don't think it's a coincidence that my favorite song also happens to be the shortest one; Smooth, with it's smooth jazzy piano 3.75 stars
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.
This is excellent. Great feeling RNB that strikes the right balance sonically. Jonz In My Bonz is a song that I don't fully get, maybe its just a song about boning. Cruisin' is good but When We Get By is waaaaayy good
I’ve never listened to soul/R&B stuff, but this is what I think of when I think of zoning out. Really nice, smooth like silk. 8/10
// Sugar, you're so fine, and the day is fine, and we'll be fine. When we make it by and we get by with love. //
Whew. Lemme towel off. That was 50 minutes, and then some, of pure, unadulterated R&B/Soul/Gospel (yes, Gospel) seduction (yes, yes, seduction). Oh, and we consummated the relationship… several times. Yeah, this LP carries a Parental Advisory tag for Explicit Content, and for good reason. It’s a grown-up experience, for sure. The kids couldn’t handle this. 'Brown Sugar' needs to be played loudly, headphones are fine, too. If you like Soul music- no, forget that, if you recognize any good music when you hear it, regardless of genre- then you’ll dig this LP. I sure did. How have I not heard of this cat? With the exclusion of the stringed instruments- which, by the way, are used with such subtle restraint that you hardly know you’ve been listening to them, like the aftertaste of an herb used in the sauce, never standing out, but only contributing to the overall flavor- D’Angelo plays virtually every instrument on this debut recording. That’s Prince territory, brother. His bass parts ala Paul McCartney’s, that wonderful wah-wah guitar sound so important to R&B/soul, his tasty little jazz piano solo on ‘Smooth,’ or the pure funk beat on ‘Alright,’ with a bonus gospel sound that blow in and out like the seemingly capricious movement of the Holy Spirit. (By the way his father was a Pentecostal minister.) On ‘Shit, Damn, Motherfucker’ (and more on that in a moment) he pays homage to a Marvin Gaye-like groove. He actually (re)covers Smokey Robinson’s 1979 hit, ‘Cruisin’,’ and makes it his own. Smokey Robinson. He’s not as good a singer as Smokey, but he’s got his own perfectly fine chops, including the lilting falsettos. On ‘Jonz In My Bonz’ he creates this wonderful bubbly, underwatery, and syncopated xylophone (I think) kind of sound that runs throughout the underneath of the song. I’ve never used this term, but here goes: prog funk. D’Angelo just gave it birth. Musically, so subtly smooth. Lyrically, about as subtle as knocking on the door to your blind date with a large, ebony strap-on. D’Angelo has one thing, and one thing only, on his mind: he wants to make sweet, chocolate love to you. ‘Your skin is caramel with the coco eyes,’ he purrs on the title track. How delicious does caramel skin sound? On ‘Me And These Dreamin’ Eyes Of Mine’ he describes her love as ‘the cherry in my chocolate covered dreams.’ Ok, we get it, D. brown skin is sexy. But he overdoes it a bit on ‘When We Get By,’ which begins as a nice date, dinner, movie, etc, but then of course, ends with sex, D’Angelo proposes, ‘We could make love in the shade, sip some chocolate(?) lemonade.’ But I get it. He’s a young, good looking dude, this one. I can’t imagine getting consent has been much of a problem for him. And good thing, too, cause this guy’s so horny the crack of dawn isn’t safe. At the time of this recording, he was 21. So, say no more. But to be fair, and this is noteworthy, the content is presented romantically, albeit erotically. Every song, save one, is about seduction, with the final track, ‘Higher,’ a celebration of good news, complete with the gospel genre being the primary influence here. But the good news of this sexy service is not quite what one typically gets in church. The salvation here is that D is getting some: ‘Just like an angel watching over me (your protect me from my fears). I once was blind but now I see (ever since the day you appeared.)’ This is not a reference to the grace of God in Jesus, either. It’s not that he’s disrespectful at all of gospel music, or church, sincerely referencing prayer and such. But D’Angelo’s just as likely to bend the choir director over the pew and have a go as he is to use it for prayer. I’ll not give it a way, but on the afore mentioned, ‘Shit, Damn, Motherfucker (it’s honestly cracking me up to type that title),’ D catches his girl with another guy in bed, and things end horribly. I won’t give it away, but I found myself actually a bit frightened as the song progressed. I loved this LP, especially the instrumentation which was conceived, written, edited, and performed with style and taste. I would add one last adjective to describe 'Brown Sugar': sophisticated. This is dress up soul. Tuxedo and evening gowns. Just make sure you’ve got some sexy negligee on underneath for later.
Liked this more than I expected to. Definitely gospel roots and very smooth.
Something about this album reminds of those late nights I'd stay up baked out of my mind to watch that greasy ass show Cheaters. I hated it, but also it was kind of fun?
Was worried this was gonna sound dated upon revisiting it, but he captured a pretty timeless sound - incorporating various influences from the past fairly seamlessly with a more modern, at times even progressive, touch. The grooves are nice but I like it most when he gets more atmospheric and textured with the the arrangements, like on "Jonz in my Bonz" and "Cruisin'". This was a breath of fresh air compared to the more formulaic R&B of its era.
Funky soulful beats, groovy bass, gorgeous jazzy feel. Very easy to get lost in.
A really chill neo-soul album with great vocals and even better production. It seems this is the only D'Angelo album on the list though, which is a bit odd as the other two seem so much more focused and vital
Best Song: Shit, Damn, Motherfucker. I already thought this song was great with the funky intro, and then when the chorus hit I was in with both feet. GotDAMN this song is good. Worst Song: Higher. A little too much gospel in my R&B. Overall: Shit this is smooth. My first exposure to it, and I'll definitely be keeping it in the rotation. So slick, with no real low points. Just a perpetual groove.
Nice, solid soulful album. If you new "Cruisin' " from the Huey Lewis / Gwyneth Paltrow version, that has to be the whitest version of that song I have ever heard. D'Angelo makes it about 1,000 times better and smoother. Wow. The album version is a bit long, though. I imagine the radio edit is better. I'm surprised that he's only done three albums. But I guess quality over quantity? Although they called this neo-soul, there were a lot of times it drifted into more jazz. Not a bad thing, but the lines were definitely blurred. Good album to "get it on" to.
Sexy music, very easy to listen to. I think it deserves a place on this list, but the one downside is that it's almost ~too~ easy listening. I find that can be the case with some genres like smooth RnB, and light jazz, and I've heard him before but didn't expect it to be this laid back. It's still a great sound, but the songs all kind of blend together. I think some of it's downfall is the proliferation of choruses where the backup singers sing the main hook and he riffs behind them. It's a great sound but definitely overdone on the album. I think it's a strong 3, like closer to a 3.8, so I'm giving it a 4.
D'Angelo is the master of baby-making music. This album is loose, jazzy and sexy. I really enjoyed it and it works just as well when you pay close attention to the music as it does simmering in the background. "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" is a wild song. Aside from the (amazing) chorus, the lyrics about catching his wife with his best friend and murdering them both caught me by surprise. 👀😂
I didn’t need to even listen. I’ve heard this album 1000 times already. D’Angelo is a master of his craft and this album is a classic.
Smooth and silky - and actually a good record. It kind of leans towards a steamier Stevie Wonder with a lot of soul.
Pleasantly surprised by this album seeing as it’s not in my particular field of taste.
Smoooooooth A little bit dated, not my usual thing Very slow, slow jams. Songs are done well this just isn't for me. A little bit repetitive/boring. Songs are a bit longer than necessary Feels like some of these songs just don't go anywhere? All very lowkey Great vocals! Faves - Brown Sugar No songs saved or added to playlists Overall - alright music, just not really for me Would I check out their other music - maybe but probably not Rating 3/5
Very nice! Smooth and everything flowed together, the instrumentals were catchy yet subtle and it was a solid late night album
Good one, sounds like relaxing lounge bar music. Nice mix of styles, genres.
I found the music in this really good and interesting mixed with the vocals but I didn't find the lyrics that great.
Pretty smooth listening. D’Angelo even makes “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker” an easy listening track. Good background music, but I won’t intentionally listen again.
Wish I could give this a 2.5 as it was a better 90s R'nB album than Mariah's but not a whole star better. But a system is a system and every .5 I've rounded up so there we go.
Impressed that he did almost everything on the album and he has fused a few genres in quite a pioneering way, playing a big role in the creation of "neo soul". Quite like the beats and the vibe. It's easy easy listening bordering on being a bit boring. 6/10
I know lots of people who rate this highly but not for me. Brown Sugar the track is a classic but the rest of the album has never stuck. Talented guy though.
R&B is one of those genres I always have a hard time getting into but this album really takes the cake. Lady and Brown Sugar really are 5 star songs. Mood: you're home alone on a Friday night and feeling yourself.
Чтобы почилить вроде норм тема. Мелодичная, не претенциозная. Конечно, зацепить ей особо нечем, но и пустой не кажется. Какие-то мотивы улавливаются, и они довольно приятные. Подбор инструментов и партии для них довольно продуманы. У вокала есть лицо. Неплохое музло, только вот забуду мгновенно и не вспомню, вероятно.
There's no doubt this music is expertly crafted - and influential. It has that enjoyably boring pace that permeates lo-fi these days. A sticky repetitiveness that I got a bit tired of. Listening to it feels a bit like wading neck-high through a thick, sweet syrup while browsing stalls at a garage sale selling quirky memorabilia and also trying to keep up conversation with a distant relative who you like, but who keeps bringing up the same conversation topics. You're also wearing very cool-looking sunglasses. It didn't really /transport/ me or anything. But it sounds great, it feels warm to the ears. I love the jazz influences. Great and versatile voice. 3.
probably good for sex! but people doing this 1001 generator thing dont have sex so HA guess we suck!
Somewhat good soul and R&B. Its almost an hour long, and with it only being 10 tracks its kinda annoying when these songs draw on to be like 6 minutes. There are some really great songs that showcase D'Angelo's talent. He is a really good singer, especially in "Brown Sugar", "Higher", or "Smooth" And yeah, its a very great chill album but it's just very hard to pick up sometimes as how long the songs are. 7/10 As of July 11th 2021 Best Tracks: Brown Sugar, Alright, Jonz In My Bonz, Shit Damn Motherfucker, Smooth Worst Track: Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine (I Guess)
The Songs are pretty similar. From the album you could hear his influences like Prince(not last his falsetto crooning) and Marvin Gaye. (6/10) Favourite Tracks : Lady
Nice! I like it! Easy to listen to and not something I'd normally bring up. 3.5/5 for me.
Ich bin ein alter weißer Mann. Wie ekelhaft, dass ich hier nicht über 3 hinauskomme
Gutes Album, wüsste aber nicht bei welcher Gelegenheit ich sowas hören soll!
Didn’t get to finish it, but liked what I heard! Very sexy week indeed.
I mean, this is all very strong. Not always my vibe, but there's something about all of it that I love. 'Shit, Damn, Motherfucker' woke me up for a second, for sure.
Buena voz. Ritmo tranquilo. Mucho soul. Buena música de acompañamiento
I'm pretty indifferent about this album. Nice singing and funky or jazzy at times with splashes of R&B but not really my thing. Nothing really stood out as far as the songs go. 6/10.
Not my cup of tea and a bit boring but objectively not a bad album. But also not really a good one either
Just not very entertaining. Smooth production, respect for that, but the songs just aren’t there. A lot of the run time sounds like falsetto vocal acrobatics rather than singing a song.
Having never actually listened to D’Angelo before I enjoyed this as a first listen, nice easy listening groves and beats. Peak 90s RnB but maybe sounding a bit dated now.
Some fun tracks and some bland ones. Overall I do enjoy the sound, soul/funk is becoming one of my favourite genres on this list
This is cool, groovy, definitely something to have to put on, but I don’t think it’d get a lot of play
Enjoyable 90s r&b album. Pretty interesting that D’Angelo only has three albums. This was a solid 90s r and b that feels like how r and b should be made. Listened to it a few times. The cruisin cover is nice and most the songs are good. 7.6/10
Overall mid 3/5. Brown Sugar was my favorite by far. A bit to slow for me. Good instrumentals.
Completely fine and seemingly representative of the style. Nothing too great and other than the somewhat annoying lyric of jonz in my bonz, everything seems like pleasant background music.
Well, what a boring but enjoyable ride. The sound was solid, but it never moved anywhere interesting. The songs were great by themselves, but consecutively each song is way too long.
I'm not too keen on this many songs containing what sounds like earnest let's-get-it-on-ness. I liked the cover of Cruisin' and the smooth and jazzy When We Get By.
I have heard the name D'Angelo...maybe even a track or two, but I didn't really know this album at all. It was a smooth soulful ride that I enjoyed. The album has that sexy R&B feel with some funk sprinkled in. It sounds like what an album titled "Brown Sugar" should to me.
I've never been a big fan of slow jams, but I do have to recognize D'Angelo's talent here as singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. It's good to hear his neo-soul version of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" as a way to connect his style with more classical soul and show off his work. Overall, I just don't enjoy the slow, repetitive style of most of the album. It does intrigue me, however, to listen to "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" as its slow, cool style is so contrary to the content. "I got a jonz in my bonz" is one of my favorite lyrics, but I am left really wanting to know more details about exactly what for. In any case, I engaged with this album more than most of its genre.
I liked most of this but hated the vocals. Would never put this on again but this list was all about expanding my taste and I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would so this was a win in my book
Vibed, but not so much that I'd go out of my way to vibe again... Ygm?
Not for me, but appreciate what he's doing here. It's all very soft-focussed 90's.
This whole album is a vibe. Very soulful. D’Angelo has a great voice. Not sure I’d listen to it all the time but I’m glad I did today.
Listened to on 3/24/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: Crusin, Lady This man is SO talented and has a beautiful voice - the album was very soulful with a hip hop vibe and was pretty good all in all
I remember the title song and still like it, but otherwise this is a pretty unremarkable album for me.
This isn't my genre, and I don't see myself reaching to put it on again, but I can't give it anything lower than a 3.5. I'm rather impressed with his musicianship, especially for a debut album. Arrangements, instrumentation, vocals, and production done largely by himself. I also understand that this really set the tone for 90s R&B and basically created neo-soul. Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the songs blend together after a while and no one song really stands out to me over any of the others. Nonetheless, I am very glad that I listened to this, as it's the first one that's been generated for me that I was truly unfamiliar with.
Smooooth, pretty nice grooves but nothing stuck with me beyond an enjoyable listen.
Super smooth album. I enjoyed the fusion of jazz and R&B. Where some albums incorporate jazz elements, this one goes a bit further and quotes entire passages featuring walking basslines to draw the connection between earlier and contemporary music forms. The singing was fantastic and it suited the music well. My biggest complaint is the length of the album.
It's a very classical hip-hop album but very repetitive. I liked it, but I'll probably not listen to it again.
J’aime le petit côté jazz de cet album et sa groove. Je crois que ce qui rend cet album important est ceci: «D'Angelo concentrates on classic versions of soul and R&B, but unlike most of his contemporaries, he doesn't cut and paste older songs with hip-hop beats; instead, he attacks the forms with a hip-hop attitude, breathing new life into traditional forms.» C’est peut-être pourquoi je n’aime pas tout du R&B mais que j’ai bien apprécié mon écoute ici.
A usually reliable friend was very excited about this at the time, describing it as a Marvin Gaye-level work of genius. It's not that good, but it is both tuneful and interesting which is high praise for '90s R&B.
"Brown Sugar" is an all-time classic track; undeniably D'Angelo at his best. Sadly, the same can't be said for the album of the same name. It's fine, but only three other tracks stand out, "Cruisin'," "Lady," and "Higher." "Cruisin'" is a Smokey Robinson cover, so of course it's good. So that really leaves three D'Angelo originals out of nine that caught my ear. All that said, a mediocre album by D'Angelo's still a solid R&B album.
This was a fun and funky album. I liked the bass but most of the time I wanted it to sit a little higher in the mix. It was a good album, just not really my thing.
What can I say, other than I'm a big fan of the 80-90s R&B. Enjoyed grooving to this album first thing in the morning, while at work. Listened again in the afternoon. Favorite song was Lady. Made me think of my wonderful, beautiful wife. Played a few songs for her last night on the deck, while enjoying the last Supermoon of 2022. Mindy, full moon and DeAngelo. It was a great night. 3.5
Sounds like it's aged well, as someone totally new to Brown Sugar. It is smooth to a fault, a little bit more material needed to stretch it to its length.
Sans interêt mais je vois déjà le 4/5 de mon camarade d'écoute robplumière pointer le bout de son nez.
Rap, layered sounds are clear and clean. Good rythmn. R&B lyrics (not hard west coast). explicit Suggested music after is all soft R&B and Love Song mixes. That would be pretty accurate.
Pretty decent considering I basically never listen to any of this type of music. Almost every song was pleasant and catchy.
I don't really *get* R&B. I enjoy it but I really struggle to figure out the difference between good, bad, and excellent. Overall I really enjoyed this. I found the lyrics to be a bit naughty! My goodness. Toss this on on date night, I guess.
Ah yes, I remember D'Angelo - that's what everyone talked about "macking" to in high school. I was surprised I didn't really recognize any of his songs. I think that might be telling - great voice, some sexy beats, but otherwise a little forgettable. It's a solid album but I wasn't fired up by it. For what it's worth, my favorites were Brown Sugar (nice beats and innuendo), Sh%t, Damn, MoFo (I think I just liked hearing someone sing MoFo so many times in a sultry voice), and Cruisin (this version fit him well). I admit my rating might be a level too low.
Love a few of these songs, but a few of them are kind of meh. I like his other album better.
Great voice - but too delicate for my taste. I appreciate the ability but doesn't float my boat.
Fine early R&B, I bet it was influential for the genre and fans, but just didn't do much for me.