D’Angelo Stands Unshaken In A Spooky New Song From Red Dead Redemption (Audio)

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a video game boasting an unexpected star on its soundtrack. Developed by Rockstar Studios, the game takes place in a fictionalized Wild West at the turn of the 20th century and was released on October 26. For gamers, it’s an anticipated prequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. For music fans, it’s the site of the Black Messiah‘s return.

D’Angelo contributed a new, original song to the game’s official soundtrack, according to reports. Based on an account from SPIN, “There was no word given by either Rockstar Games or D’Angelo about his official appearance on the soundtrack, but rumors began spreading online about his possible appearance as players delved deeper into the game’s story mode.”

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The song in question is “May I? Standing Unshaken,” which, according to a YouTube uploader, appears in chapter five of the game. It’s eerie in its simplicity and is reminiscent of an African American spiritual. Due to the lack of any official comment from either the Grammy-winning D’Angelo or Rockstar, it’s unclear just how involved the venerated Neo-Soul musician and singer was in the production of the song; four years removed from his last album, it’s easy to see why fans have been rapacious about anything new featuring his voice.

In March 2018, D’Angelo postponed an appearance in the United Kingdom. In a statement provided by his management and obtained by NME, the reason for the postponement was that “D’Angelo has been working in the studio, deep in the recording process.”