Sade’s Stronger Than Pride was the next step in her legacy of jazz-touched R&B. By the time of its release in 1988 she truly was the Queen of Smooth. STP was her third album and it cemented her new reign as the leading voice of a different era of quietstorm radio. “Nothing Can Come Between Us” compressed passion and a forever love into a four-minute testimonial lead by Sade’s haunting contralto and the funk/jazz guitar work of Stuart Matthewman and Paul S. Denman. On a surface listen it sounded like lighthearted fare for a superficial romance but the rhythmic heat at the core of the groove represented an unbreakable bond between two people. The appeal of “Nothing Can Come Between Us” upped the importance of STP which quickly became her third consecutive platinum success and boasted three other hit singles. Thirty-four years later STP is considered timeless and Sade’s understated sensuality is iconic. Â
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