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.  

 

Sade’s “Killer Blow” is from the soundtrack to Julien Temple’s 1986 film Absolute Beginners. The movie is about life during the 1950s in London and the changing of the times. Sade had a role as singer Athene Duncannon and performs “Killer Blow” during a club scene. The appearance was the singer’s acting debut that took place before the release of her third album, Stronger Than Pride. Her performance with the band was a part of the story that looked at youth culture changing from the jazz era to the 1960s. The plot contained romantic elements, a look at the emerging London and an acknowledgment of the Notting Hill race riots. 

Absolute Beginners did not make it commercially and lacked in character study but it is admired for the cinematography and music. David Bowie had a role and he also sang the theme song which was a hit on the UK charts. Ray Davies of The Kinks and Edward Tudor-Pole of the punk band Tenpole Tudor also had roles in the film. Sade’s This Far six-piece vinyl box set was released in 2020. 

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Sade’s six-album discography is being released as a vinyl boxset. Starting with her 1984 debut Diamond Life and her most recent album Soldier Of Love from 2010 each step of her journey has been remastered. The announcement was posted to her social media along with links to pre-order the boxset for $179.98. 

[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.