There are a few select artists that appear ageless. Their voices never seem to be affected by father time and they look as fresh as they did when they first entered the music scene. Sade Adu is one of these artists. She’s as mysterious as she is talented. Coming and going every decade or so, Sade makes the music that’s defined quiet and intimate times for listeners of many genres. Her choice to remain private has not hampered her ability to share her emotion with the world, and with Soldier of Love, 10 years of emotion are heard.
The listener is taken on a melodious ride from the beginning of Soldier of Love. “The Moon and The Sky” is a brilliant first track. Sade’s voice remains breathtaking, and the soft production that includes a guitar lick that proves to be equally memorable. The remainder of the album follows suit. Even though mellow is a mood felt often, she is able to infuse Reggae melodies that complement, the at times, deep, heart-wrenching material. “Morningbird” sees Ms. Adu accompanied by a piano and soft percussion. Her performance on this track is similar to her classic track “Jezebel.” The listener is on the tip of her tongue and she successfully manipulates the listener into grasping the emotions she delivers so eloquently. “Long Hard Road” has a somber vibe that somehow produces the emotion of hope. When Sade sings “It’s going to be alright” you can’t help but believe her.
Soldier of Love is only a 10 song offering, but it manages to be comprehensive 10 songs. The listener doesn’t feel short-changed, and it’s clear that Sade crafted each song to perfection. Even the albums weakest song, “Babyfather” could be a hit. It’s upbeat production contrasts with the deftly serious lyrics. It’s clearly intentional and though the song doesn’t soar, it is memorable. Sade the band and the woman are able to borrow genres, lyrics, and whatever else and make them their own. You can hear slight sounds of classic R&B, Country and Reggae, but your left with an overwhelming feeling that all the material is completely original.
Without having a record released for the past 10 years, Sade comes with a very polished effort. There is intentionality to each sound, be it vocal or instrument. It’s an effort that undoubtedly will satisfy her fans. It’s not quite a classic, but it’s undeniably good. Her voice sounds as beautiful as ever and her band is still clicking on all cylinders. Sade is still that woman, and band, that musicians aspire to be. With more than 25 years of experience, the sound is still as refreshing as it was when she entered the scene. Take a deep breath, exhale, and enjoy the ride that is Soldier of Love. Who knows when the next go around will be?
Beautiful Album. Thank you Sade 🙂
Great review. Great album. I hope it sells well, and makes its way into urban radio, not just adult contemporary. This appears to be a great young year for R&B.
Great review for a great album. Glad to see Sade is back on the scene and making great music..
excellent cd i listen to this every morning when i get to work, only thing its only ten tracks she musta recorded one track a year lol i aint mad she still got it and its hot! now can we get a review for canibus cd and i mean a real review!
Very dissapointing album, i fell in love with sade because she sang about love. Not the hardships of life
Dissapointing album. I fell in love with Sade because she sang ABOUT love.. Not depression
you fall in love with sade because of her ability to evoke and amplify every emotion we as humans can feel. love is not always beautiful. love is not always a burden. lyrics full of somber messages are not depressing but rather an outlet. to listen to this music with your heart is to release whatever pain you maybe be suffering from. It’s just like listening to Maxwell. you enjoy his music when the message is happy, but you connect fully through pain. Music like this allows you to open up. i could go on forever about this, but i’m at work and my lunch is over. Basically what i’m saying is i reject your opinion. I know it is your opinion and yours alone and my words will not sway it however, i’m just saying, if you want fluffy, go find taylor swift. this may be just a liitle too deep for you…
^^^Good ish RL
love this album very soothing and chilled out..
sade is timeless beauty in her voice and person. had a crush on her for almost two decades.
hello, the songs are great and i will get this album at the store tonite.love is Sade way,may she be free.love you always helen adu.your lover is pure ,i clean my soul with your love,your voice is white magic.jordan hill
thank you Sade for your love that you put forth on this album,love jo.hill
great voice, boring as aduilt contemporary music as usual. she needs to lend her voice to something raw.
Smh…..
every man is entitled to an opinion and some are jus the opinions of an airhead, should she have had lil wayne on there?
I remember Lover’s Rock had the some of the same kind of reviews as far as it being a “nothing new” album. Years after its release it was indeed seen as revolutionary new music. I have a feeling Soldier of Love will be remembered down the line as an exceptional Sade album totally different from her other releases.
At Star:
Tar Baby, Maureen, Bullet Proof Soul, Mr. Wrong, War of the Hearts and Feel no Pain were all classic Sade songs with heavier subject matters. Is it a Crime, a song about a failed love, is one of her greatest and is not your typical love song.
I liked every song except one. Other than that, the album is too short.
she never has a long ablum.the longest cd she ever had was lovers rock.it’s way better when it’s short. i hate long ass albums.they have all this filler on it that’s unnecessary like most rap cd’s
5 stars easy. Great album. Sade can do no wrong in my eyes. Just pop this in the deck, go for a drive, and go. Love it.
she goes in as usual….the one artist that never fails to bring good music that doesnt follow the trends. i love the album first listen
TRASHHH
u dont know shit about music….
fuck you pillage.u full of shit.god,why u gotta hate because it’s not hiphop.u never listened to sade before.i’ma sade fan .a hardcore and i tell you this was one of the best cd’s i ever heard in the last 5 years.listen to it again.it’s obvious u didn’t or maybe u can’t because you’re immature
Well worth the wait.
i’d do her.
Great album
“every man is entitled to an opinion and some are jus the opinions of an airhead, should she have had lil wayne on there? ”
nah, just some interesting music that doesn’t put me to sleep. I can’t believe how seriously this bitch is taken on here. Yes she has a nice voice, but Sade is music for yuppies and cocktail lounges. There is no substance to it. it’s plastic. Not because she is plastic necessarily, but her music is over produced. As i said, it’s adult contemporary music for pop refugees. There are so many better singer/songwriters than her.
u must b some young skinny jean kid….anyone whoever listen to sade knows this cd is great music…or is it the lack of auto tune? and now she is a bitch? did she ignore u or diss u personally? you cant be over 22
BULLSHITTT!!!! You Can put Sade up against any of these cracker jack wanna be soul singers of today, match’em lyric 4 lyric SHE WILL EAT THEY ASS UP! Sade’s Music is like a Rimbrant. Oh… Wait… You probablly don’t know what that is. Well I’ll tell you. It’s called ART DUMB ASS!!! GET SOME LEARNIN!!!
wow your comments were just negative and pointless. you must have been beaten as a child while my music was playing in the background. my music is about things you cant understand then. its alright if you don’t like it but please refrain from calling me a bitch for it…….whats the point of that?
Gonna make some babies in ’10 with this shyt. Try to catch up to lil’ wayne.lol.
“u must b some young skinny jean kid….anyone whoever listen to sade knows this cd is great music…or is it the lack of auto tune? and now she is a bitch? did she ignore u or diss u personally? you cant be over 22”
no, i’m 30, and her music isn’t ‘mature’ to me. it’s coffee house music. Even Norah Jones’ latest album is edgier than ‘Soldier Of Love’.
Sade is great for the conservative 40 plus crowd, but there is a whole wide world out there to discover.
I’m saving my money for the next Erykah Badu. An artist that is genuinely soulful AND adventurous and doesn’t release the same formulaic tripe over and over like Sade.
its funny how many hard ass niggas on here and in the world, the ones that love hip hop and gutta shit also love this woman’s music. I’m one of them, i guess if you hate you really haven’t gotten a good piece to one of her songs.
its funny how many hard ass niggas on here and in the world, the ones that love hip hop and gutta shit also love this woman’s music. I’m one of them, i guess if you hate you really haven’t gotten a good piece to one of her songs.
congrats to sade. she’s looking to push 425-450K in her first week!
SADE THE TRUEST!!!!!!!
Sade is one of those artists who transcends judgement, IMO…her music wasn’t meant to critique like we do all these whack rappers on the scene…this is straight grown folks music for people who understand the art and the craft of “REAL” music.
It doesn’t matter if a new album isn’t as good as a previous one with her, because if you’re a true lover of music, none of that matters. …
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Sade will punch and knockout your favorite rappers front teeth out! lol
Ol girl still got it, this chick been making hits since I was a baby……..I just got the album today and aint listened to the whole thing yet, but she gets a Thumbs up for being 50 years old and still being relevant on the charts today, that kind of longevity doesnt come easily………….Especially to come back after a decade and still go gold in a week……
Sadw please come to Trinidad and perform. Pretty PLEASE.
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_videos/659615?sel_song_id=3407393&autoplay=1
FANTASTIC! GET YOUR GRIND ON TO THIS SHIT, IT GOOOOOOD!
this album is too depressing for me. i love sade and most of her albums but im disappointed in this one