Sade ( or ) are an English band, formed in London in 1982 and named after their lead singer,

Sade Adu Helen Folasade Adu ( ; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade ( or ), is a British-Nigerian singer and songwriter who is the lead vocalist of her band Sade. One of the most successful British female artists in ...

. The band consists of Adu alongside bassist

Paul Denman Paul Spencer Denman (born 29 July 1957) is an English songwriter and musician. With Sade Adu, Andrew Hale, and Stuart Matthewman, Denman gained worldwide fame as the bass guitarist of the English band Sade. He is also a member of the English ...

, saxophonist and guitarist

Stuart Matthewman Stuart Colin Matthewman (born 18 August 1960), also known as Cottonbelly, is an English songwriter, record producer and musician. He is best known as the guitarist and saxophonist of the band Sade. His work as a member of Sade has earned him fo ...

, and keyboardist Andrew Hale. Founding drummer Paul Anthony Cooke left the band in 1984, while Dave Early, Cooke's replacement, left in 1985. Since Early's departure in 1985, the band has employed numerous session and touring drummers in absence of an official drummer. The band's music features elements of

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

quiet storm Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album '' A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Li ...

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

and

sophisti-pop Sophisti-pop is a pop music subgenre that developed during the mid-1980s out of the British new wave era. It originated with acts who blended elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish production. The term "sophisti-pop" was coined only afte ...

. All of the band's albums, including compilations and a live album, have charted in the US Top Ten. The band's debut studio album, ''

Diamond Life ''Diamond Life'' is the debut studio album by English band Sade, released in the United Kingdom on 16 July 1984 by Epic Records and in the United States on 27 February 1985 by Portrait Records. After studying fashion design, and later modellin ...

'' (1984), reached number two on the

UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...

, selling over 1.2 million copies and won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 1985. The album was also a hit internationally, reaching number one in several countries and the top ten in the United States, where it has sold four million copies to date. In late 1985, the band released its second studio effort ''

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

'', which peaked at number one in both the United Kingdom and the US. It was certified

double platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

in the UK and

quadruple platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in the US. In 1986, Sade won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1960 (except in 1967) "for a new artist who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording which establishes the public identity of that ar ...

. Their fifth studio album, ''

Lovers Rock Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...

'' (2000), won the

Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...

. Their sixth studio album, '' Soldier of Love'' (2010), peaked at number four in the UK and number one in the US. In 2011, the band won its fourth Grammy for

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as th ...

. Sade's US certified sales in 2012 stood at 23.5 million units according to the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA),Top Selling Artists
according to Recording Industry Association of America web site and by 2014 sold more than 75 million records worldwide to date. The band were ranked at No. 50 on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

History

1980s

The musical group Sade was formed in London in 1982, by members of the

Latin soul Latin soul (occasionally used synonymously with boogaloo) was a short-lived musical genre that had developed in the 1960s in New York City. It consisted of a blend of Cuban music such as mambo, along with elements of Latin jazz and soul music. Al ...

band Pride.

(sax),

(bass), and Paul Anthony Cooke (drums), formed the break-away group and began to write its material. They named the band after lead singer Sade Adu, and made its debut performance in December 1982 at

Ronnie Scott's Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

in London in support of Pride. In May 1983, the band performed its first US show at

Danceteria Danceteria was a nightclub that operated in New York City from May 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. The club operated in various locations over the years, a total of three in New York City and four in the Hamptons. The most famous l ...

in New York City. Andrew Hale joined on keyboards in mid-1983; Cooke was replaced on drums by Dave Early in early 1984. Sade received more attention from the media and record companies than Pride had, and eventually separated from that group altogether. On 18 October 1983, the singer signed with

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company * CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony * CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...

(which was absorbed by its parent label,

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

, in 1986). When singer Sade and her band of the same name were establishing themselves, its record company, Epic, printed "Pronounced Shar-day" on the record labels of its releases, which led to mispronunciation in rhotic North American accents. In February 1984, Sade released its first single, "

Your Love Is King "Your Love Is King" is a song by English band Sade from their debut studio album, ''Diamond Life'' (1984). The song was written by Sade Adu and Stuart Matthewman, and produced by Robin Millar. It was the album's lead single in the UK, released ...

", which became a Top Ten hit. A second single, " When Am I Going to Make a Living" barely made the Top 40, but the band's debut album, ''

'', was released in July 1984 and peaked at No. 2. It spent over six months in the UK Top Ten and was later certified 4× platinum by the BPI. ''Diamond Life'' won the 1985 Brit Award for Best British Album,Brit Awards: Sade
Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2012 and was later included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music criti ...

''. The band embarked on its first major UK tour, augmented by Dave Early (drums), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Terry Bailey (trumpet) and Gordon Matthewman (trombone). A third single, "

Smooth Operator "Smooth Operator" is a song by English band Sade from their debut studio album, ''Diamond Life'' (1984), and was co-written by Sade Adu and Ray St. John. It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom as a 7-inch single w ...

", was released from the album with a video directed by

Julien Temple Julien Temple (born 26 November 1953) is a British film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including ''The Great Rock 'n' Roll ...

. The single became its first US hit in spring 1985, propelling the album in the US Top Ten. Also in 1985, the band were nominated for two

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...

—"

Best Female Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the ...

" and "

". On 13 July 1985, Sade performed at the

Live Aid Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

in London. Sade Adu became the only African-born artist to appear in front of the live audience of 75,000 and an estimated worldwide television audience of 1.4 billion in 170 countries. In late 1985, Sade released its second album, ''

'', which peaked at No. 1 in both the UK and the US.Roberts, David (2006).

British Hit Singles & Albums ''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (originally known as ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'' and ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'') was a music reference work, reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the p ...

. London: Guinness World Records LimitedWhitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books It was certified double platinum by the BPI in the UK, and quadruple platinum in the US. In 1986, Adu was nominated for an

American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...

for Favorite

Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

/ R&B Female Video Artist, and the band won a

for

.And The GRAMMY Went To ... Sade
Grammy.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012 On 28 June 1986, after touring for the album, the band performed at the Artists Against Apartheid Concert in the Freedom Festival on

Clapham Common Clapham Common is a large triangular urban park in Clapham, south London, England. Originally common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, it was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878. It is of gr ...

in London. In 1987 the band was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for ''Promise''. Sade's third album, ''

Stronger Than Pride ''Stronger Than Pride'' is the third studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 3 May 1988 and in the United States on 10 May 1988. In September 2018, ''Pitchfork'' placed the album at number 37 on its ...

'', was released in May 1988. The album peaked at No. 3 in the UK and has been certified platinum by the BPI. It was preceded by the single "Paradise", which made the UK Top 30 and US Top 20. The band toured across the world again, augmented by

Blair Cunningham Blair Cunningham (born October 11, 1957, Memphis, Tennessee) is an American drummer who has played for many bands and artists including Denise LaSalle, Robert Johnson, the Detroit Emeralds, Frederick Knight, Echo & the Bunnymen, Haircut One ...

(drums), Martin Ditcham (percussion), Leroy Osbourne (vocals), Gordon Hunte (guitar), James McMillan (trumpet) and Jake Jacas (trombone & vocals). In 1989, Sade Adu was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.

1990s

Sade's fourth album, ''

Love Deluxe ''Love Deluxe'' is the fourth studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 26 October 1992 and in the United States on 3 November 1992. Critical reception In a contemporary review for ''The Village Vo ...

'', was released in November 1992. The album peaked at No. 3 on the US Album charts and was certified quadruple-Platinum, and peaked at No. 10 in the UK and was certified Gold by the BPI. In 1993, the band recorded a cover of the

Percy Mayfield Percy Mayfield (August 12, 1920August 11, 1984) was an American rhythm and blues singer with a smooth vocal style. He was also a songwriter, known for the songs "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Hit the Road Jack", the latter being a song f ...

song, "

Please Send Me Someone to Love "Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a blues ballad, written and recorded by American blues and soul singer Percy Mayfield in 1950, for Art Rupe's Specialty Records. It was on the Billboard's R&B chart for 27 weeks and reached the number-one p ...

", for the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning film ''

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

'', before launching the ''Love Deluxe'' world tour. Joining the band were Leroy Osbourne (vocals), Gordon Hunte (guitar), Trevor Murrell (drums), Karl Vanden Bossche (percussion), and

Rick Braun Rick Braun (born July 6, 1955) is an American smooth jazz trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and keyboards player, vocalist, composer, and record producer. Early life and education Braun was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and attended Dieruff High ...

(trumpet). The 1994

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded to Sade for "

No Ordinary Love "No Ordinary Love" is a song by English band Sade, released in September 1992 by Epic Records as the lead single and opening track from their fourth studio album, ''Love Deluxe'' (1992). The song is written by lead singer Sade Adu and Stuart ...

", featured in the 1993 film ''

Indecent Proposal ''Indecent Proposal'' is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Amy Holden Jones. It is based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a milli ...

''. In November the group released its first compilation album, ''

The Best of Sade ''The Best of Sade'' is the first greatest hits album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on 31 October 1994 and in the United States on 4 November 1994. The compilation chronicles Sade's first four studio alb ...

''. The album was another Top Ten hit in both the UK and US and was certified Platinum and Quadruple-Platinum respectively. In 1996 Hale, Denman, and Matthewman formed their own band as a side project, Sweetback, and released a self-titled album.

2000s

In October 2000, Sade Adu came out of retirement to perform at the prestigious

MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Ba ...

, her first live performance in several years. The following month, Sade released its fifth studio album, ''

'', its first album in eight years. The album peaked at number 18 in the UK (its only studio album not to make the top 10) though was certified Gold by the BPI. It fared better in the US, peaking at number 3. It also won the

for

Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...

in 2002. The band toured the US throughout 2001. The tour resulted in a live album, ''

Lovers Live ''Lovers Live'' is the first live album and third video album by English band Sade, released on 5 February 2002 by Epic Records. It was recorded at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, on 20 September 2001 and at the Great Western Forum i ...

'', which was released in the UK and US in February 2002. In 2005 the band contributed the track "Mum" to the ''Voices for Darfur'' DVD.

2010s

In mid-2009, when social media was in its early stages, Sade fans from around the world were excited to hear the news of an up-coming Sade album with a predicted release date of 24 November 2009. This date was posted on an official-looking website (sade2009.com) before

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

released any news or marketing for an upcoming album. Sony denied having any affiliation with the site.

Billboard Charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ' ...

contacted the site's owner to confirm the release date and was told the date was official, but soon after, the date was removed. Die-hard Sade fans got together on the official Sade website forums to investigate this new website and release date, what they uncovered was the registered owner of the site's name was Thomas Roman, a web developer, freelance

digital marketing Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online-based Information technology, digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms to promote products and service ...

and

SEO Seo or SEO may refer to: * Search engine optimization, the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines Organisations * SEO Economic Research, a scientific institute * Spanish Ornithological Society (''Soci ...

specialist. Roman, a seasoned web developer, utilized the buzz he generated with the release date and got traffic to his site where he cashed in on

pay per click Pay-per-click (PPC) is an internet advertising model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher (typically a search engine, website owner, or a network of websites) when the ad is clicked. This differs from more t ...

advertisements. To date it is not known how he predicted a release date so close to the release of their first single and studio album, '' Soldier of Love'', in a decade. Sade's sixth studio album '' Soldier of Love'' was released worldwide on 8 February 2010, the band's first album of new material in ten years. Following the release of the " Soldier of Love" single on 8 December 2009, the track debuted at number 11 on the Urban Hot AC chart, making it the highest debut of the decade and the third-highest all-time on the Urban Hot AC chart. "Soldier of Love" debuted at number 5 on the Smooth Jazz airplay chart and became the first-ever vocal to hit number 1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. The album peaked at No. 4 in the UK. In the US the album sold 502,000 copies in its first week and topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.Sade's 'Soldier' Sizzles At No. 1 With 502,000
, Billboard.com, Retrieved 10 February 2012 The album stayed at No. 1 in the US for three weeks. The group released the second single from the album, " Babyfather", in April 2010, followed by a video in May. On 13 April 2010, the band performed "Babyfather" and "

The Sweetest Taboo "The Sweetest Taboo" is a song by English band Sade from their second studio album, ''Promise'' (1985). It was released in October 1985 as the album's lead single. While the song peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart, it fared considerab ...

" on the US TV show ''

Dancing With The Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...

''. In September 2010 the group announced the first dates of its global tour, Sade Live, to begin in April 2011. In 2011, Sade received its fourth Grammy Award (

) for '' Soldier of Love'', and released a second

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

, '' The Ultimate Collection'', which made the UK Top Ten. A new video for the track "Love Is Found" premiered in July 2011. The band returned in 2018 for the soundtrack to the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

film ''

A Wrinkle in Time ''A Wrinkle in Time'' is a young adult science fantasy novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962, the book won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-u ...

'' with the song " Flower of the Universe" and for the song " The Big Unknown" for the motion picture ''

Widows A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

''. On 13 July 2018, Sade bandmate

told ''Rated R&B'' in an interview that the band is in the studio working on its seventh studio album. He said, "We're working on a new album. When we're happy, then we'll let everyone else hear it."

2020s

In September 2020, Sade announced a remastered vinyl set of its six albums. The boxset, titled ''This Far'', was released on 9 October 2020. Their engineer and co-producer,

Mike Pela Mike Pela (13 January 1950 – 23 July 2022) was a British record producer and mixer. He worked with various artists including Sade, Maxwell, Savage Garden and others, spanning a wide array of genres. Career Pela started his career in the 19 ...

, died in 2022. The band reportedly began recording new material for a seventh album in the summer 2022 at the rebuilt Miraval Studios (where they previously recorded ''Promise'' and ''Stronger Than Pride'').

Band members

– lead vocals, programming (1982–present) * Paul S. Denman – bass guitar (1982–present) * Andrew Hale – keyboards, piano, programming (1982–present) *

– saxophone, guitars, programming (1982–present) Former members * Paul Anthony Cooke – drums, percussion (1982–1984) * Dave Early – drums, percussion (1984–1985, died 1996)

Legacy

The band is credited with influencing the musical genre of

neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...

and achieving success in the 1980s with songs that featured a

style, incorporating elements of

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

and

. The band was part of a new wave of British R&B-oriented artists during the late-1980s and early-1990s that also included artists

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

Caron Wheeler Caron Melina Wheeler (born 19 January 1963) is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. Born and raised in London, she performed in various singing competitions as a teenager and began her recording career as one of the found ...

The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies are an English band formed in 1985, consisting of Simon Bartholomew, Andrew Levy, and Jan Kincaid. After the addition of N'Dea Davenport in 1990, the group experienced mainstream success and pioneered a new genre called a ...

Simply Red Simply Red are an English soul music, soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. Band leader, singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall was the only original member left by the time Simply Red initially disbanded in 2010. They have released thir ...

Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...

and

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Alex Henderson writes that, "Many of the British artists who emerged during that period had a neo-soul outlook and were able to blend influences from different eras". Following the coining of the term "quiet storm" by

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

, Sade was credited for helping give the genre a worldwide audience. The band's work has influenced and been recognized by several musical artists. Rapper

Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...

of Eric B. & Rakim stated he grew up listening to Sade's music and was influenced by the singer's voice and style. Rakim has also referenced its song "Smooth Operator" in his rap song " Paid in Full" (1987). Hip hop group

Souls of Mischief Souls of Mischief is a hip hop group from Oakland, California, that is also part of the hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. The Souls of Mischief formed in 1991 and is composed of rappers A-Plus, Opio, Phesto, and Tajai. History East Oakland ...

stated they grew up listening to Sade's music. Hip hop group

Tanya Morgan Tanya Morgan is an American hip hop group, which consists of MC William Donald "Donwill" Freeman and MC/ producer Devon "Von Pea" Callender. Donwill is from Cincinnati, Ohio, while Von Pea is from Brooklyn, New York. Their fourth studio album, ...

also described Sade as one of its favorite artists. Frontman

Chino Moreno Camillo "Chino" Wong Moreno (born June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the alternative metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sleep, Crosses, ...

of the

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

band

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...

has cited ''Love Deluxe'' as one of his top 13 favorite albums. In an interview with ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'', Moreno said, "I've always loved it, it was a big inspiration on me. It's sort of classy, another cocktail and cityscape record." The band also

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

the lead single "

" in collaboration with singer

Jonah Matranga Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga (born Jonah Sonz Matranga, August 11, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing, and has previously been part of the bands ...

for the band's 2005 compilation album, '' B-Sides & Rarities''. Singer

Keri Hilson Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she began her musical career as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other artists under the wing of record producer Anthony De ...

said, "My Dad would whistle Sade melodies randomly all the time. As a kid, I used to try to whistle along to '

Cherish the Day "Cherish the Day" is a song by English band Sade from their fourth studio album, ''Love Deluxe'' (1992). It was released as the album's fourth and final single in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1993. The music video was written and produced by ...

' or '

.' He was a real Sade fan and made me one, too!" In reaction to the newly released album ''Soldier of Love'', rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

wrote, "This is why i still have a blog. To be a part of moments like this ... new Sade ... How much better this ... than everything else?". Rapper

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

stated in an interview that "People may know my infatuation with Sade. There's never been a bad Sade track. I love all different sides." Other individuals such as Formula One driver Carlos Sainz have quoted Sade's songs. The group were nominated for induction to the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 2024.

Awards

Discography

* ''

'' (1984) * ''

'' (1985) * ''

'' (1988) * ''

'' (1992) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Soldier of Love'' (2010)

Tours

* Diamond Life Tour (1984) * Promise Tour (1985–1986) * Stronger Than Pride Tour (1988) * Love Deluxe World Tour (1993) *

Lovers Rock Tour The Lovers Rock Tour was the fifth concert tour by English band Sade. Predominately visiting amphitheaters in North America, the tour supported the band's fifth studio album, ''Lovers Rock''. Taking place in 2001, it was deemed by many critics ...

(2001) * Sade Live (2011)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sade Ballad music groups Brit Award winners Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1982 Musical groups from London British musical quartets RCA Records artists Progressive soul music groups Smooth jazz ensembles Sony BMG artists Sophisti-pop musical groups 1982 establishments in England Female-fronted musical groups Mixed-gender bands