[youtube id=”NYz8xs163YU”]Sade’s Promise (1985) was her second album it carried her sound further around the world after she and her band’s (also named Sade) introduction to the public on Diamond Life in 1984. “Is It A Crime” was one of three singles from the Promise album which soared to no. 1 in the UK and the United States. Sade’s laidback vocals were enveloped by swank production rooted in jazz that individualized her on an international pop scene. The video featured the singer in a New York City club performing with the band and later meeting with an abusive boyfriend. The clip looked more like a scene from a full-length feature than a music video. The dark cinematography and the storyline added to Sade’s mystique as a new singer with minimal personal information in her media representation. Americans were intrigued by Sade’s beauty, soothing music and videos. She became the most well-known Black artist from England despite the emergence of Junior in 1982 and Loose Ends in 1984. It would not be until the rise of Soul II Soul in 1989 that another Black artist from the UK would make a big international impact. Promise became popular after the success of “The Sweetest Taboo” and it was Sade’s second number-one hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Sade’s first two albums were the only time she released music so closely together because after Promise it would be three years before Stronger Than Pride. She became unique for being able to release music infrequently and still keep her fanbase attentive and happy. It has been nine years since the release of her sixth album Soldier Of Love. In 2018, Sade contributed “Flower Of The Universe” “The Big Unknown” for A Wrinkle In Time and Widows soundtracks.Â
