Raphael Saadiq on Grief, “Sinners,” and the Enduring Power of the Blues
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The Academy award nomination for Best Original Song for “I Lied to You” from Among sinners arrives for music legend Raphael Saadiq amidst profound personal loss, offering a bittersweet culmination to a challenging period. Saadiq, alongside composer Ludwig Göransson, crafted the song – performed in the film by Miles Caton – following a year marked by the deaths of his brother and close friend, D’Angelo, as well as Tony! Toni! Toné! co-founder D’Wayne Wiggins.
A Year Defined by Loss and Resilience
“It’s still affecting me a lot,” Saadiq shared in a recent conversation with Rolling Stone. “I had a dream about my brother this morning.” The loss of loved ones, including Michael Archer, known professionally as D’Angelo, served as a catalyst. “It put a battery in my back,” he explained, acknowledging the difficulty of even listening to his friend’s music. “When you meet somebody at the beginning of their career and you’re very tight and you understand each other, you just really miss them. I feel like I am talking to them through spirit and energy.” He found solace and purpose in his work, stating that the creative process helped him “make sense – who I am as a man, and a friend, and a brother.” This internal reckoning ultimately prepared him for his collaboration on Sinners with Ludwig Göransson, Ryan Coogler, and michael B. Jordan. “I’ve always been a team player.”
From Blues Roots to Academy Recognition
The final iteration of “I Lied to You” masterfully blends the lineage of black music, culminating in elements of hip-hop, and its impact within the film is undeniable. However, Saadiq revealed the song’s origins were far more stripped down. “Ludwig added that part in. It was a blues song at first.” He recounted how Coogler and Jordan were drawn to the song’s emotional core. “They just wanted something that felt real.” Saadiq emphasized that the blues has always been integral to his musical identity. “I’ve never made a song that didn’t have some type of blues in it.” The Academy’s recognition of a blues song, he stated, is a monumental achievement, “win, lose, or draw, that’s amazing to me.”
Saadiq and D’Angelo shared a deep connection, rooted in their upbringing within the gospel tradition of the Hawkins Family. “That’s why we were really good friends,” Saadiq explained. He recounted a poignant gesture from D’Angelo, who framed an album of the Hawkins Family as a gift, a symbol of their shared heritage. “When people see that picture, they know what cloth we’re cut from.”
Regarding the possibility of posthumous D’Angelo music, Saadiq expressed cautious optimism. While he doubted there was enough material for a full album, he acknowledged the wealth of unreleased “jams” that could be compelling. “If you got Pino [Palladino], Questlove, [guitarist Isaiah] Sharkey, and D – that’s all you need. If D is just mumbling and humming, that’s a record.” He hopes that something can be compiled from the existing recordings.
Looking Ahead: Vinyl, Chic, and New Sounds
Saadiq is currently focused on several projects for his vinyl club, including two live albums and two new studio records. One of the new records will feature a band inspired by Chic, with Isaiah Sharkey taking on the role reminiscent of Nile Rodgers. He is also working on a solo album influenced by a specific period in the U.K. “I’m working hard,” he affirmed, signaling a continued dedication to his craft and a vibrant future for his music.
This story was originally published on Rolling Stone.
