Sade – Soldier of Love

Can you believe it’s been a whole decade since we’ve heard from our girl Sade??? Wow!!! Well the time off has been good to her. She looks fantastic (not at all like she is 51) and her new album “Soldier of Love” which will be released on February 9th promises to be a “gotta have it” in your music collection in 2010. Soldier of Love is Sade’s sixth studio album and the first album she released in a decade. Her last album, “Lover’s Rock” was released in 2000.

Helen Folasade Adu was born in Ibadan, Nigeria to a Nigerian father and an English mother. The locals didn’t fancy calling her by her English name so her middle name, which means honor confers your crown, was shorten to Sade. At some point the marriage of Sade’s parents ran into difficulties and her mother decided to move back to England with Sade and her older brother Banji in tow.

Growing up, music wasn’t Sade’s first career choice. She actually was very interested in fashion and study for a while at St. Martin’s School of Art. Her entrance into the music world came when a couple of her former classmates asked her to sing in their struggling group. Sade was very nervous to sing in the beginning. However, she gravitated naturally to the art of songwriting. Eventually she started singing with a North London Latin group by the name of Pride. It was at that time that she co-wrote the song “Smooth Operator”. It was also at that time that record company talent scouts became interested in the young lady with the sultry, velvety voice.

Varying offers to sign with record companies came her way but Sade’s loyalty to her friends initially made her turn down the offers. However, 18 months later she decide to sign with Epic Records with the condition, that she bring three of her friends from Pride with her. Stuart Mattherman (saxophonist), Andrew Hale (keyboard player) and Paul Denman bassist went along for the ride and continue in the band with her today. Signing with Epic Records changed her life and the lives of her three friends forever.

The new album “Solider of Love” is quite a stretch from what the group has done in the past. There are slow ballads in ” Be That Easy”, “Skin”, and “Long Hard Road”. However, there is a reggae groove called “Babyfather” which she pulls off like a natural. The title track however, has exciting military drumming and guitar riffs that will encourage anyone to take up arms to do battle for love.

Sade fans you won’t be disappointed with new album so prepare to either pick it up on February 9th or you can go to iTunes and pre-order it now. Also check out the video for Solider of Love here on this blog. It can also be purchased from iTunes right now. Check it out!!!