The Best Sade Song, Album by Album

Sade. What more can be said about one of the most influential bands, ever? They came out in the early 80s, led by Helen Folasade Adu, known for her voice that is beyond hard to categorize. I like to think she’s a contralto, the deepest female tone. One listen to “Sally” would have you on my side, but Sade isn’t just the singer. You have Paul S. Denman on bass, Andrew Hale on keys, and Stuart Matthewman on guitar and saxophone. These guys don’t get talked about as often as Sade does because, well she’s Sade Adu. But, don’t think that these guys are merely just…there. Without these three guys specifically, I don’t think any of these albums would sound as amazing as they do now. The way Paul plays his bass in the slinky-smooth way, as if a snake is slithering up and down the strings is second to none, Andrew’s keys hypnotize you into a groove that you can’t get out of until the song is over, and Stuart’s sax? What are we even talking about anymore? Growing up, our dad didn’t play a lot of Sade, our mom didn’t really like them. So, I embarrassingly rediscovered them after hearing the Beachwood Sparks’ cover of “By Your Side” on the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World soundtrack. Now, that is a cover that I love with all my heart, so I took it upon myself to finally dive into the discography to see what all the hoopla was about, and boy am I glad I did that.

Sade’s music is amazing. They started with real jazz and longue-focused tracks on Diamond Life, then as the years went on they embraced more Latin and reggae sounds, then on the latest album, Soldier of Love, they went full bombastic. Every album has something new and that gives you something to look forward to with every single listen. So, why not add them to my list of artists I do a deep dive on? As always, please don’t get mad at me for this, I am 23.

“Your Love Is King” from Diamond Life (1984)

Listen, I know this pick isn’t anything insane, but when I think of this album, I think of this song. It’s perfect, it really sounds like a summer day. The instrumentation lends to this feeling heavy. The percussion is just an endless hi-hat, a tambourine that hits only on the 4, a shaker on the 3, and some congas. The drums do a little flair at the end of the chorus to signal that the verse is about to start. The piano creates this driving melody with little chord hits every now and then, that are obviously Andrew just trying stuff while he jams out. You can visualize him looking up every time he does it to make sure everyone is cool with what he’s doing. Rounding out the melody is the bass. Paul takes the bass on a rollercoaster ride full of crescendos and decrescendos. What I love is that the instruments are so beautifully layered that they work well as a group, but if you wanted to, you can laser-focus on one element and still enjoy the overall groove. Of course, Sade sounds ethereal. Her delivery is kind of breath-y which is one of the reasons this song specifically sticks with me. It gives the song a personal feel, we as the listeners aren’t supposed to hear this, but we’re being let in on a secret. But of course, the thing that immediately catches your ear is the saxophone. Stuart starts the song off commandeering the song for 22 seconds before Sade comes in, and for those 22 seconds, you’re being lifted into the air. Being raised by the chord changes the band performs. Then, Sade comes in, and you’re suspended, only moving by the wind of her voice. Now, being naive, I thought this song was just about being for real in love with someone, but in reading the lyrics I had to ask myself: Is Sade talking about oral sex? Dude, stay with me, okay? In the very first chorus, she says, “Your kisses ring, round and round and round my head, Touching the very part of me, it’s making my soul sing,” now what could that mean? Listen to how she pronounces the V in “very” she easily could’ve just said “Every part of me,” but she chose to say “Very.” Then, she just flat out says, “I’m coming on, I’m coming, you’re making me dance Inside,” alright Ms. Adu. As I said earlier, this song feels like a personal secret we’re being let in on, but I’m so thankful we got to hear it.

“Fear” from Promise (1985)

Okay, so I was so insanely ready to pick “War of the Hearts” for this album, wrote out a good base for the paragraph and everything, but as I was listening to that track over and over again trying to piece together my thoughts, I just let the album play out and I got to “Fear” and my brain just exploded when I heard Sade singing in Spanish. Oh, my actual goodness, she went into another universe on this one. From what I can piece together, this is a song about a woman whose lover is a matador, and the fear and sadness she feels every day waiting for him to come home. Obviously, this could be interpreted in a multitude of ways, right? But Sade singing in Spanish makes me want to just focus on the blatant one. Complete with the crowd noises, the Spanish guitar, and the strings, I can’t get the visual of a sunset in Spain out of my head. And all of that is great, but my god the instrumentation put me over the edge. Just from the first few seconds, the guitars and piano open the curtains to this drama you’re about to witness. The piano lays down a driving note sustain, then the bass plays rising notes that give it a bit of Spanish feel, but also lets you know that you’re about to witness something incredible. It almost feels like the moment leading up to a showdown in a western. The duelists are all looking at each other with the side eye and no one knows who to trust. All of that is felt in only 20 seconds. Then, Sade comes in and the lead guitar goes *plucking noise* and you go, “AGH!” And she sounds like she’s in pain, a great mixture of longing and sorrow. When she sings, “Matador, I can’t hide my fear anymore,” the strings finally come in, and it’s at that moment where you realize that every choice you’ve made in your life has led you to hearing this song, you’ve made so many right choices. Sade finishes her verse, and the drums turn into a death march loop and Stuart just absolutely loses his mind on the saxophone. It’s so chaotic, but so amazing at the same time I can’t believe I was so asleep on this. Then, everything stops to let the strings and guitars talk, and it’s the eye of the hurricane. In the middle of all this sorrow and longing, there’s a moment of calmness. Then, tensions rise again as the tempo accelerates into the hook. It’s the perfect song.

“Clean Heart” from Stronger Than Pride (1988)

Choosing a song from this album proved to be harder than I originally thought. Not because there was an abundance of or lack of great songs, but because there weren’t a lot of songs that I connected with. Of course, I love the title track and “Paradise,” but they both sound like Sade songs, if that makes sense. With “Clean Heart,” though, it captured my ear with the soft simple melody the band plays. Simple enough for Sade to come in and out as she pleases. She sings about a kid that has to make it happen and takes it upon himself to get what he wants and support his family. So, you can read the lyrics and see a kid wanting to be a drug dealer with lyrics like, “And he said I’m gonna bring home, The things that are out of your clutch,” and “Ooh, their greedy eyes don’t realize, He’s someone’s son” and I’ll subscribe to that idea, too. This meaning is aided by the somber feeling of the overall track. Though, it’s not depressing, just somber. Like an audio oxymoron. Whatever he’s doing that keeps his finger on the trigger and people with greedy eyes staring at him, will eventually have a positive outcome. The song is guided along by some walking lead and bass guitar riffs and the saxophone serves as the audio cherry on top. Stay with me, the horns sound like the wind blowing the leaves across the ground. You can really see the scenery based on the instrumentation and Sade’s vocals.

“I Couldn’t Love You More” from Love Deluxe (1992)

Okay, while Promise is my favorite album by Sade, I will not sit here and lie and say this one doesn’t put up a very strong fight. This album is produced so well. It’s like they finally ironed out all of the kinks and locked in to make the best album they could, and they were successful. This is the album I remember our dad playing around the house and in the car. I hold this one to a very high degree in my life. With that being said, this one was a bit harder than I expected. I thought I’d say, “Cherish the Day” and have a grand ol’ time describing why, but as I sit here, basking in the sunrays on this beautiful Tennessee afternoon. The song that hit me the most was “I Couldn’t Love You More.” Remember when I said, I didn’t choose “Paradise” because it sounded too much like a Sade song? Well, I’m going to contradict myself and pick this song for that exact reason. This song is such a Sade song. Stuart, Andrew and Paul are in such a pocket, guided by this synth lead and directing bassline. I love how it starts off with the pianos and the claps. Paired with the bouncy-sounding synth in the background, you’d think this was the more digital/futuristic sound, but the human sounding claps get replaced with an obviously digital clap when Sade starts singing. That’s a really super small touch that I love. The lyrics are pretty straightforward for a love song, but I think there’s a beauty in its simplicity.

“Lovers Rock” from Lovers Rock (2000)

It is so funny to live in the times we do. I just went immediately from Love Deluxe to Lovers Rock with a couple swipes and taps, there was an eight-year gap between those two albums. Imagine being alive and cognizant of that time. Imagine being the biggest Sade fan ever and having to wait eight whole years for your favorite artist to drop again. So glad I was born when I was. But anywho, I slept on this album for quite some time. I was so enthralled with Promise that everything else fell behind it. That paired with the fact that I heard this after I heard the Beachwood Sparks cover of “By Your Side.” Don’t hate me for this, but I like their version better. This album always felt more acoustic to me, all of the flair and finesse of the 80s and 90s are stripped away for bare guitars and minimal percussion. Now, call me cliche, but the title song is just what I needed from this album. I think my ears gravitate to the songs that sound like traditional Sade songs, but for whatever moment they’re in. They’re still in that smoke-filled cafe, but this time it’s 7 o’clock and the sun is going down. Sade uses this time to compare her lover to a bunch of things she’d need to survive in any given situation. When she’s alone, she hears him in music passing by and knows that she won’t fall apart because her lover is with her in some way. It’s a very cute, very major chord song that features a very tight bassline and a guiro that pops in to say hello every once and a while. All of the instruments hold this very tight groove that makes it impossible to not sway along to the rhythtm. The piano acts like some sort of guide for your body, the snare acts like a checkpoint, then the guitar adds the most necessary flare. It’s perfect hand holding music.

“Soldier of Love” from Soldier Of Love

We finally arrive at Sade’s latest album, Soldier of Love. I remember the time around this was slated to drop. Hearing the title track in my dad’s car, speeding down the highway, top down. He was one of her biggest fans and educated me on her backstory and gave me stories of when he would listen to her in the 80s and 90s. I don’t think anyone was as excited for her to drop than he was. I hate to pick the title track, but no other song on this album hits like this one does. Don’t get me wrong, “Babyfather” is insane. God, Sade sounds like an actual angel on that song, but “Soldier of Love” wins for one simple reason: those drums. They’re so militant and soulful that you can’t help but envisioning a battlefield and seeing the band in the middle of all this violence. Like the eye of the storm. Stuart playing that guitar like his hands will fall off if he doesn’t and putting all of his might into those progressions, I don’t know who did the drums (it was either Martin Ditcham or Pete Lewinson), but my god the kick drum acts like it wants to blast a hole in the side of your head, all of the small elements like the vocal chops, snare trills, and the guitar fills all round this song out to be a true anthem. Read the lyrics and you could tear up. Simple as they might be, the song tells the story of someone who always looks on the bright side, they might be beaten and bruised, but they’ll fight for love every time. It’s both depressing and triumphant at the same time, but it sounds like a vicious cycle. The instrumentation mirrors that. There are times where the song sounds a bit hopeful, but the harmonies crash down into the chaos of the harsh distorted guitars or the alarm sounds that phase between your ears. My personal favorite part that makes me go, “Wow” every time I hear it is in the second verse when Sade goes, “I’ve been torn up inside, I’ve been left behind, Tall I ride, I have the will to survive,” and she joined by a chorus of voices and the guys in the back go, “Ohhh!” Then at the end she basically wails out, “I am love’s soldier,” and you feel every single syllable of every word she says. It’s incredible.

This article took me a while to finish. I started this my last semester of college, since then I’ve graduated and as I’m writing this, I’m sitting at my desk in my office at my job. The passage of time is insane, but one thing stayed the same. Sade was there to soundtrack all of it. I’ve listened to at least one Sade song every day for months now and every day I find something new to love within the songs. Whether it be a small instrument heard in the background or the production warping her voice in an insane way, there’s always room for discovery within their music. Hopefully, this sparks some debate and thought between you and your friends and family. Everyone is going to think something different, but we can all agree on one thing: Sade is one of the best bands ever.

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