D'Angelo Shares the True Meaning of His 'Untitled' Video

D’Angelo is prepping for his return to music this year and has landed in the pages of GQ’s June issue. Along with six stunning pictures, the ESSENCE Music Festival performer explained the real meaning behind his sexy and iconic video “Untitled (How Does It Feel).” His interpretation of the song may surprise you – it has nothing to do with sex.

The men’s magazine caught up with the video’s director, Paul Hunter, and he explained it was all about food. “Most people think the ‘Untitled’ video was about sex,” he says. “But my direction was completely opposite of that. It was about his grandmother’s cooking. Think of your grandmother’s greens, how it smelled in the kitchen. What did the yams and fried chicken taste like? That’s what I want you to express.”

D’Angelo, who recently wrapped up his European tour, agrees. “It’s so true: We talked about the Holy Ghost and the church before the take. The veil is the nudity and the sexuality. But what they’re really getting is the spirit.”

The single, which debuted in 2000 off his Voodoo album, sent women across the nation into a tizzy, leaving D’Angelo feeling uncomfortable with the attention. “One time, I got mad when a female threw money at me onstage, and that made me feel like f*cked-up, and I threw the money back at her. I was like, ‘I’m not a stripper.'”

Be sure to grab your tickets to see him live in New Orleans.