D’Angelo may still be the reigning king of soul, but he’s been breaking music lovers hearts for years with his time away from music, not to mention a few personal struggles. Then, early this year, he began performing a few shows in Europe. The music world, quite rightly, freaked out. Now, for Americans, the real excitement can begin.

The crooner is set to appear at the Essence Music Festival, in New Orleans. This marks D’Angelo’s first American performance in ten years. That’s no small event. Essence, July 6-8th boasts many other artists, including Aretha Franklin, Charlie Wilson, Mary J. Blige, Estelle, Eve, Trey Songz, and Keyshia Cole. The legend’s third album is also rumored to be approaching, and one can only hope this means more U.S. shows in the future.