Imani Archer, daughter of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, D’Angelo, has released a song amid her state of grief, per BET.
In an interview with the outlet, Archer shared how her single, “Surreal,” was in the making long before her father’s death. She initially wrote “Surreal,” which centers around losing someone, in July. She wrestled with whether to release it after her father’s death.
“God can be very funny sometimes,” she said. “I wrote this song in July, and I submitted it over a month ago, and it was supposed to come out…it still is. I was thinking of not doing it, but I know he [D’Angelo] wouldn’t want me to do that. He would be pissed actually, if I did something like that.”
“It’s just so funny though. What I’m singing about is something completely unrelated. It’s about losing someone ironically and it feels very crazy,” Imani said in reflection. She said when she played the track for her mother, they were left speechless by the now deeper connection of the song.
She shared the song’s release on her Instagram with throwback images of herself with D’Angelo and in the caption, she said, “He was always so proud of my singing and my music and I want to honor him and put this song out in the world, even though every day feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. I hope you’re proud of me up in Heaven Daddy.”
D’Angelo died in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the age of 51 to pancreatic cancer. Following the news, Archer, one of the “Brown Sugar” hitmaker’s three children, penned a letter to her father on Instagram.
“Dear daddy, there are no words to describe this immeasurable loss,” she wrote on Wednesday, Oct. 15. “I’m in absolute disbelief and shock. you were my biggest hype man my protector my biggest musical inspiration the kindest and most selfless man and the best father anyone could’ve ever had.”
Archer said that no one will live up to her father’s strength, noting that “till the very end,” he made sure to protect her from “anything that would scare or hurt me.”