As the world continues to mourn the loss of musical icon D’Angelo, I’ve been thinking about how to pay tribute to him. Given the current state of the world, I believe the best way to honor his legacy is by highlighting one of my favorite covers he recorded for the “Down in the Delta” soundtrack, “Heaven Must Be Like This,” originally performed by The Ohio Players.
Following the release of his debut album, “Brown Sugar,” in 1995, the singer hit a bit of a writer’s block before releasing “Voodoo” in 2000. Between albums, D’Angelo would occasionally perform songs, including the iconic “Nothing Even Matters” with Lauryn Hill, and was also featured on various soundtracks.
Some of the soundtracks D’Angelo appeared on included “Belly,” “Get on the Bus”, “High School High,” “Space Jam,” and “Scream 2.” However, when he reached into his vocal bag in December 1998 with the cover of “Heaven Must Be Like This,” he blessed listeners with something special. He transformed the classic into something transcendent—an intimate prayer set to rhythm and groove.
Listening to it now, in the wake of D’Angelo’s untimely passing at just 51, the song takes on new meaning. His tender delivery—equal parts church and bedroom—reminds us that heaven was never some faraway concept for him. It was found in love, in melody, and in the small sanctuaries of human connection. “You know what I think heaven is? I think heaven is you.”
Those are simple words. Unpretentious. But they’ve always been at the core of D’Angelo’s work. Straddling the sacred and the sensual, his music is spiritual without being sermonizing and erotic without being self-conscious. “Heaven Must Be Like This” was his way of saying it’s in a touch, in a glance, in a well-timed chord change. Of course, those words were just as much a reflection on D’Angelo’s silences as his songs: the long gaps between albums, the reticence, and the long periods of retreat.
But his music has always been eloquent, and when he sang about heaven, it wasn’t an escape from the world. It was about love, balance, and finding peace in the world. Now, as fans mourn the man behind “Brown Sugar” and “Voodoo”, his voice lingers like incense—sweet, smoky, and eternal. “Heaven Must Be Like This” feels less like a love song and more like a farewell message he unknowingly left behind.
D’Angelo didn’t just sing about heaven. He embodied it—in sound, in soul, and in spirit. And if heaven really is like this, it probably sounds a lot like him.
Final Grade: A
“Heaven Must Be Like This” is available on all streaming platforms.
