D'Angelo: Salvation Sex And Voodoo

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D'Angelo tries the door. It's locked.

This is my ending, you think. Secular star with racy video returns to his roots only to find the church door locked. There's rich metaphorical earth here... Yes, this is the perfect finish.

The pastor of the church arrives, hugs D'Angelo and opens the door.

You make a mental note: Try to recycle closed-church ending next time you interview Whitney Houston.

D'Angelo and his crew wander inside. "It's smaller than I remember," says D'Angelo. He goes right for the piano. "It's the same one," he says happily. He sits down and starts to play. He only strokes out a few chords, just a short spell of rich, gospelly magic, but it's enough. It took a whole childhood for him to go from here to stardom, it took five years for him to finish Voodoo, it took half the day for him to get to the interview. But in a few seconds, with a few notes, he gives a glimpse of the power of his talent, its roots in the church, and all is forgiven. Some artists make music that makes them look cool; D'Angelo makes music that makes you feel cool just listening to it.

After a bit, you tell D'Angelo you've got to go. You've got to get back to your peeps in New York. Of course you don't actually say the word peeps. You're not that cool yet.

But you'll keep listening.