Neo-soul singer D’Angelo has officially got his “sexy” back!

Just yesterday, Jay-Z announced the soulful crooner would be appearing at the Budweiser Made in America Festival and he’s also going to be hitting the stage this year during the annual Essence festival in New Orleans.

D’Angelo re-emerged earlier this year in Stockholm after moving past his run-ins with the law, and revealed a brand new song.

[READ: D’Angelo Hits Stage After 11 Year Hiatus w/ New Song “Sugar Daddy – VIDEO]

GQ has released a set of new pics from a photo shoot with D’Angelo which was shot in Manhattan around the end of March. It was his first shoot in well over a decade.

As far as why it took him so long, D’Angelo explains:

“There’s forces that are going on that I don’t think a lot of motherfuckers that make music today are aware of. It’s deep. I’ve felt it. I’ve felt other forces pulling at me. This is a very powerful medium that we are involved in.

I learned at an early age that what we were doing in the choir was just as important as the preacher. It was a ministry in itself. We could stir the pot, you know? The stage is our pulpit, and you can use all of that energy and that music and the lights and the colors and the sound. But you know, you’ve got to be careful.”

More photos + excerpts & behind the scenes video footage below…

One time I got mad when a female threw money at me onstage, and that made me feel fucked-up, and I threw the money back at her. I was like, ‘I’m not a stripper.’

Yes, my head is straight.

Just because you’re black doesn’t mean you have to look or sound a certain way or you know, act ignorant or what have you, whatever the fucking gatekeepers have us doing because they think that that’s the formula to make money. And a lot of motherfuckers, they just fall right into line.

I’m not the role-model motherfucker. Look at all the shit that I’ve been in.

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Do you think D’Angelo can make a comeback?

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