Sade

Sade (pronounced “shah-day”) is a Grammy Award-winning English band that emerged in London in 1982. They are named after their lead singer, Sade Adu, who also writes songs and produces for the band, which includes Stuart Matthewman, Paul S. Denman, and Andrew Hale as the multi-instrumentalist supporting band. Their musical style blends various genres, from funk to smooth jazz-infused quiet storm R&B/soul—often referred to as sophisti-pop.

The members of Sade were initially part of the London group Pride in the early ‘80s before Sade Adu was offered a solo recording deal with Epic Records, to which she agreed only if Denman, Hale, and Matthewman could join her. Sade released their debut album Diamond Life in 1984, achieving multi-platinum status with hit singles like “Your Love is King”, “Hang On To Your Love”, and “Smooth Operator”. They continued their success with the album Promise the following year, featuring hits such as “Is It a Crime”, “Never as Good as the First Time”, and “The Sweetest Taboo”. Promise reached #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold millions globally. The band also won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1986 due to the success of their first two albums.

Their streak of multi-platinum albums continued with Stronger Than Pride (1988)—including hits like “Paradise”, “Nothing Can Come Between Us”, “Love is Stronger Than Pride”, and “Turn My Back On You”—and Love Deluxe (1992), which featured hits such as “Kiss of Life”, “Cherish the Day”, and “No Ordinary Love”, the latter winning a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

After an eight-year pause, Sade came back strong with their fifth album, Lovers Rock, released on November 13, 2000. The album won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, showcasing their smooth sound with singles “By Your Side” and “King of Sorrow”. After another lengthy break, their sixth album, Soldier of Love, dropped in 2010, with the title track winning a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Like all their previous albums, it achieved multi-platinum status and peaked at #1 in several countries.

In 2018, the group contributed the song “Flower of the Universe” to the soundtrack of A Wrinkle in Time and “The Big Unknown” to the soundtrack of Widows.