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Helen Folasade Adu CBE (Yoruba: Fọláṣadé Adú [fɔ̄láʃādé ādú]; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade (/ˈʃɑːdeɪ/ SHAH-day or /ʃɑːˈdeɪ/ shah-DAY),[5][6][7] is a Nigerian-British singer, known as the lead vocalist of her band Sade. One of the most successful British female artists in history, she is often recognised as an influence on contemporary music.[8][9][10] Her success in the music industry was recognised with the honour Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2002, and she was made Commander in the 2017 Birthday Honours.[11]
Sade was born in Ibadan, British Nigeria, and was brought up in England from the age of four. She studied at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London and gained modest recognition as a fashion designer and part-time model before joining the band Pride in the early 1980s. After gaining attention as a performer, she formed the band Sade, and secured a recording contract with Epic Records in 1983.
A year later, the band released the album Diamond Life, which became one of the era’s best-selling albums and the best-selling debut by a British female vocalist. In July 1985, Sade was among the performers at the Live Aid charity concert at Wembley Stadium, and the next year, she appeared in the film Absolute Beginners. The band released their third album (Stronger Than Pride) in 1988, and a fourth album (Love Deluxe) in 1992. The band went on hiatus in 1996 after the birth of Sade’s child.
The band reunited in 1999 and the following year, released Lovers Rock, their first album in eight years. Lovers Rock was a departure from the band’s earlier jazz-inspired sounds. In 2010, the band released Soldier of Love, their sixth studio album, and toured arenas worldwide.
Since that tour ended in 2011, the band has released two songs, “Flower of the Universe” for the soundtrack of Disney‘s A Wrinkle in Time, and “The Big Unknown“, part of the soundtrack of Steve McQueen‘s film Widows.
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The New Yorker described Sade’s voice as a “grainy contralto full of air that betrays a slight ache but no agony, and values even imperfect dignity over a show of pain”, a “deeply English” quality that makes categorising the artist’s voice difficult.[77] Her voice was described by the BBC as “husky and restrained” and compared to singer Billie Holiday. BBC called her songwriting “sufficiently soulful and jazzy yet poppy, funky yet easy listening, to appeal to fans of all those genres.”[78] Sade has been called a “pop star”.[77] With the musicians in her band, Sade, The New Yorker wrote, “created one of the most profitable catalogues in pop”; the band’s “easy” sound backing songs “exploring the heavier lifting inside love: commitment, consistency, friendship.”[77] Her success has been attributed to a combination of her unique beauty, seemingly indefinable origins, and mysterious persona.[77] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Sade at No. 51 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Sade’s work has influenced and been recognised by many singers and hip hop artists. Rapper Rakim of Eric B. & Rakim stated he grew up listening to Sade’s music and was influenced by her voice and style. Rakim has also referred to Sade’s song “Smooth Operator” in the song “Microphone Fiend” (1988).[80] Talib Kweli stated he learned about precision from Sade due to her performance of Love Deluxe in its entirety at Madison Square Garden.[80] Rapper Missy Elliott cited Sade’s performance of “Smooth Operator” as one of her favourites. Hip hop group Souls of Mischief stated they grew up listening to Sade’s music.[80] Hip hop group Tanya Morgan also described Sade as one of their favourite artists.[80] Other rappers to recognise Sade include the former rap duo of Clipse – Malice and Pusha.[80] In reaction to the newly released album Soldier of Love, rapper Kanye West 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?”.[80] Rapper Rick Ross 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.”
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American singer Beyoncé called Sade’s music a “true friend” and an inspiration.[82] The late singer Aaliyah said that she admired Sade because “she stays true to her style no matter what … she’s an amazing artist, an amazing performer … and I absolutely love her.”[83] American R&B singer Brandy has cited Sade as one of her major vocal influences.[84] Heavy metal singers Greg Puciato and Chino Moreno have also named her as an inspiration.
