The much-heralded R&B artist earned a standing ovation as he sang the opening verses of How Does It Feel.

Aged 38, the famously reclusive star then had the crowd up on their feet dancing when he sang a medley of funk and soul songs.

Twitter was all a-flurry with messages hailing D’Angelo’s talented musicianship, and his comeback was the most talked-about appearance at the BET Awards.

%TNT Magazine% dangelo returns BET awards2 

His last release was the single Untitled (How Does It Feel) and second album Voodoo in 2000. Since then, the neo-soul singer he bailed the spotlight and is said to have battled legal and drug issues.

The Black Entertainment Television Awards took place on Sunday hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. Music video of the year was awarded to ‘Otis’ performed by Jay Z and Kanye West. 

Check out his performance on the video below:

All photographs: Getty images

D’angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel) from Kewellharry on Vimeo.