Losing a parent is never easy. When that parent is a universally beloved music legend, that loss is amplified. Music lovers around the world are mourning D’Angelo after his recent death, but perhaps no one is mourning the loss more than his three children. Among them is his middle child and only daughter Imani Archer. She has been going through an extremely challenging period as her father ultimately lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. The promising singer-songwriter pours her pain into her latest single “SURREAL.”
In an interview with BET.com, she stated that she wrote “SURREAL” in July, but due to D’Angelo’s declining health, she was somewhat hesitant to put it out. He was insistent that she continue to pursue her music career, so she ultimately decided to release it now.
“SURREAL” is a song about losing someone, but Imani confirmed that she did not write it about her father. However, it will certainly serve as a beautiful and lasting tribute to the icon.
Musically, the track provides a peaceful, tranquil vibe as it starts with strings that quickly give way to an acoustic guitar and a subtle drum cadence to keep the melody on track. Imani’s soothing vocals commence soon after and effortlessly integrate with the instrumentation.
You can feel the pain in her voice as she sings the chorus, “Cause you’re too good to be true / No wonder I wake up feeling so blue / Shadows in the corner of my room / Nothing I wanted more than all of you.”
Imani has dropped multiple singles over the last year or so, and we are hopeful she will continue to pursue her dreams as she makes her family proud. If “SURREAL” is any indication, she has a lot of potential.
