D'Angelo has announced that he will not be performing at this year's Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. The singer expressed his disappointment in a heartfelt message shared on the festival's social media.
D'Angelo revealed that due to an unforeseen medical delay following a surgery earlier this year, his specialist team advised that the weekend performance could further complicate matters. The festival also posted, "Due to a longer-than-expected surgical recovery, @thedangelo won't be able to join us at Roots Picnic this year. We're sending love and keeping him in our thoughts as he continues to heal!"
D'Angelo shared his deep regret, stating, "It is nearly impossible to express how disappointed [I am] not to be able to play with my Brothers 'The Roots.' And even more disappointed to not see all of you." He thanked his fans for their continued support and teased that he was currently in the lab working on new music.
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, D'Angelo mentioned his ambition to release more music, saying, "I do want to put a lot of music out there." He added, "I feel like, in a lot of respects, that I'm just getting started."
D'Angelo was set to perform alongside other leading artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Meek Mill, GloRilla, Miguel, Tems, Latto, and Kaytranada at the Mann in Fairmount Park on May 31 and June 1.
In a separate announcement, the Roots Picnic revealed that Maxwell would be performing on May 31. Maxwell's track "Pretty Wings" was listed among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st Century. He earned his third Grammy for his album blackSUMMERS'night, winning Best R&B Song for "Lake by the Ocean." Maxwell wrapped his 2024 North American tour back in October, which featured special guests Jazmine Sullivan and October London.