Key Takeaways
- Lauryn Hill’s performance at the 2026 GRAMMYs reflected her long-standing admiration for D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.
- The tribute included a rendition of “Nothing Even Matters,” a song originally performed with D’Angelo.
- Hill has previously cited Flack as a major influence on her vocal style and songwriting.
Lauryn Hill marked the start of Black History Month with a powerful return to the Grammy Awards stage. On Sunday (Feb. 1), Hill led the In Memoriam tribute with a performance honoring D’Angelo and Roberta Flack — two artists whose influence shaped her voice, career, and understanding of soul music.
The eight-time Grammy winner opened her set with a tribute to D’Angelo, beginning with “Nothing Even Matters.” Lucky Daye then joined her onstage to perform “Brown Sugar,” followed by appearances from Leon Thomas, Bilal, and others. The show continued with a performance of “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” before Jon Batiste closed out the moment, bringing the homage full-circle.
From there, the 50-year-old artist shifted into a homage for Roberta Flack, starting with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Batiste returned to the stage alongside Leon Bridges, with October London and Lalah Hathaway joining in for “The Closer I Get to You.” The moment grew when John Legend and Chaka Khan came out to perform “Where Is The Love.” Wyclef Jean later joined the lineup to help deliver a moving rendition of “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” closing the tribute on a familiar, emotional note.
Flack’s influence was part of Hill’s foundation early on. In the 1990s, Hill helped carry “Killing Me Softly With His Song” into a new era with the Fugees, before sharing the stage with the North Carolina native for a performance at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards.
When Flack passed away, the “Ready or Not” hitmaker turned to Instagram to reflect on how deeply the singer and pianist’s artistry shaped her from an early age. “I grew up scouring the records my parents collected. Mrs. Flack was one of their favorites and quite instantly became one of mine as soon as I was exposed to her.” She later added, “Mrs. Flack was an artist, a singer-songwriter, a pianist and composer who moved me and showed me through her own creative choices and standards what else was possible within the idiom of Soul.”
D’Angelo held a distinct place in Hill’s creative world. The two shared a musical chemistry that came through most clearly on “Nothing Even Matters,” their duet from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The debut album went on to earn five Grammys at the 1999 ceremony, including Album of the Year.
The tragic losses of D’Angelo and Roberta Flack
As previously reported by REVOLT, D’Angelo died in October 2025 at the age of 51 following a private battle with pancreatic cancer. Flack died at the age of 88 in February of the same year after living with ALS. Both artists left behind catalogs that reshaped R&B and soul, influencing generations across genres.