D'Angelo gives stirring comeback performance at BET Awards

D'Angelo performs at the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles.

Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

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D'Angelo is officially on the comeback trail.

The reclusive R&B star gave his first U.S. television performance in over a decade at the BET Awards this evening, opening with his best-known tune "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" (which, if you'll remember, became the subject of a steamy, now-iconic music video) before segueing into a funky new Stevie Wonder-style number that had the star-studded crowd at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium rising to their feet.

It was an impressive performance, particularly considering how long D'Angelo has been out of the public eye. Only in the past few months has he made a return to live performing, first with a concert in a Stockholm church (!) back in January and more recently with a surprise 90-minute set at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. His voice is in remarkably good shape, possessing all the silk and only a little more rasp than it did during his platinum-selling heyday.

What really made the performance a success was just how much energy the R&B crooner brought to the stage. What could have been a perfunctory nostalgia appearance instead became a potent reassertion of his formidable talents, not only as a singer but as an entertainer capable of holding an enthralled audience in the palm of his hand. With his long-awaited third album "James River" reportedly close to completion, this could be the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the singer's career. Let's just hope he doesn't go away again anytime soon.

You can check out the full performance below. After watching, sound off with your thoughts in the comments!

Follow me on Twitter @HitFixChris

BET Awards 2012 red-carpet arrivals

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Chris Eggertsen
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A former contributor to sites including Bloody-Disgusting and AfterElton, Eggertsen enjoys rock music, rainy days and smelling the pages of old books. You should read all of his articles and follow him on Twitter because it's the right thing to do.