Sade’s Private and Soulful Life
It’s the late evening and you’ve just come home after a busy day of work and errands. You enter your house and are transported to 1984 where you encounter a vinyl, in the centre of your living room, playing the smooth, calming and gentle sound of Sade’s album, Diamond Life. Whether it’s ‘Your Love Is King’, ‘Smooth Operator’ or ‘Hang on to Love’, you are about to journey through a sultry and jazz infused, romance story.
Helen Folasade Adu, who is the lead singer and most commonly known as Sade is one of the most notable female music artists to ever grace the industry. The wondrous mystery to Sade is that her private life is left at the door and instead her artistry takes the centre stage. She was born in Nigeria to a British Mother and an African father - they moved to the UK when she was four years old. In her earliest interviews, after being probed, she discreetly delves into her childhood memories. For example, in one interview she revealed that her parents divorced when she was four and she explains that this feeling of trauma at such an early age, sparked something within her. Her charismatic and humble nature isn’t forthcoming with revealing personal information. Instead, it is the subtleties behind what she does allude to that indicate her interest in soothing challenging experiences through music.
Sade originally began her career as a fashion designer, exploring the space of menswear design. However, she soon discovered the rich tonality behind her vocals and formed the contemporary jazz band with drummer Dave Early. Quickly rising to fame, it’s worth considering what led to this. The deep timbre in Sade’s voice creates a rhythm of its own as she enunciates lyrics such as: “Your love is king, crown you in my heart, Your love is king, never need to part, Your kisses ring, round and round and round my head.” Through these rhyming words she is coding a narrative that exposes the vulnerabilities which inhabit the space of falling in and out of love. This mode of storytelling is charged with a description that is emotive and transcends itself from a fixed moment in time. This is similar to the space of fashion with regards to how a vintage garment will still hold a tone of relevance in contemporary times, if it is constructed with a timeless intention. It’s therefore interesting to see that despite Sade not pursuing her fashion career, she is still creating an imprint of longevity in the creative space of her music. In particular, during the 1980’s (a time when mixed race people were highly underrepresented in the music industry), Sade became a stepping stone of the change that we are now witnessing.
Notably, Sade’s fashion aesthetic also carries this eternal image. In her interviews, she reveals how the clothing that she wears is preferably minimalistic, and she stays away from overtly glamorous aesthetics. This further reinforces the notion that less is more, and quality is the primary intention behind Sade’s music and artistry. There is a valuable lesson within this way of conducting oneself. Artists in contemporary culture, especially females, are so concerned with their external aesthetic and portraying hyper-sexualised representations of themselves to attract audiences and empower tones relating to female energy. But through the figure of Sade, the tone of sensuality is effortless, as she is more concerned with the music that she is creating and directs an audience’s gaze towards the stories that she is telling in her songs, as opposed to the sexualisation of her body. However, what might be empowering for one woman, will differ to another. It’s therefore worth finding a middle ground to assert the music’s intention to – is it to be something of quick and short living stardom, or is it to be of quality and a long-standing appreciation?
Furthermore, the theme of reflection and contemplation is an evident element of Sade’s practice as a musician. She explains in an interview in 1992, after launching her fourth album ‘Love Deluxe’ that it is important to “not be afraid to go away, as most people are scared to have a break, but a break is good, and it gives you a chance to realise why you are doing what you do.” This sense of awareness is highly effective, as it has meant that despite each album created by Sade being launched between a 3 to 4 year break, we as an audience are always able to expect an album that is produced with quality and thoughtfulness. In modern culture, we are constantly receiving new content, and if we actually consider the quality of this material, most of the time it lacks a sense of value. A valuable lesson that creative people can therefore take away from Sade’s approach to art, is that time is an illusionary pressure and instead, it is worth meditating on ideas before launching them into the world for others to see.
Conclusively, drawing from the years 1984 to 2021 and the sound of Sade, some of my favourite albums that I’d encourage you to listen to include: Diamond Life (1984), Promise (1985), Stronger than Pride (1988), Love Deluxe (1992) and Lover’s Rock (2000). Through these endearingly, soulful songs, you’ll enter a soothing and calming vibration; enjoy!
Written by Indera Tamara