Sometimes, it's not all about hip-hop. Sometimes you just feel like some easy listening. For those of us who grew up during the '90s (and, um, even the '80s), Sade was the singer whose sultry voice and subtle sex appeal turned us on to that soulful vibe. The British-Nigerian songstress has made some of best songs of the past three decades, and with her latest album, Soldier of Love, dropping on February 9th, Helen Folasade Adu shows that she's just as musically relevant as ever.
And as fine as ever, too. She's 50 now, but hasn't lost a step, as she made clear in the recently released video for the album's title track. An enduring musical legacy and a surefire GILF candidate? That's a first-ballot Wifey Hall of Fame induction right there, no question. Check out these five videos that made us love her (and this is no ordinary love)...
When Am I Going to Make a Living (1984)
• The band Sade (aptly named for its sexy frontwoman) formed in 1983, after the fall of another band, Pride, of which Sade and four of its other members were part. Sade debuted in 1984 with their first studio album, entitled Diamond Life, which would eventually go quadruple platinum. That's like 16 billion in today's numbers.
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Smooth Operator (1985)
• "Smooth Operator" was another single from the Diamond Life album. It was directed by Julian Temple and was nominated for two VMA's that year, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video. It was also the co-recipient of a 1985 Letting Us Know Changes Were Happening In Our Bodies Award (along with Weird Science).
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Sweetest Taboo (1985)
• 1985 was the year that Sade truly began to blow up: She performed in the Live Aid concert, the only African-born artist to grace the stage. "Sweetest Taboo" was the lead single from Sade's sophomore album, Promise. One of her most popular songs, the title has been name-dropped by artists such as Prince and Mos Def, as well as covered in French by the duo Les Nubians. It's also probably a porn movie. Yup, we were right.
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No Ordinary Love (1992)
• The single won a 1994 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The track can be heard in the film Indecent Proposal, has been covered by numerous artists, and may or may not have been used to seal the deal more than once in college. Just sayin'.
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King of Sorrows (2001)
• We didn't really hear from Sade for a while—and then she came back in 2000, she came back with Lovers Rock. The album sold 3.8 million units, and the single "King of Sorrows" hit the top spot on the Billboard charts. This video was filmed in Puerto Rico, and featured Sade as a hot single mom and an aspiring singer. Judon't know?
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RELATED: Complex's 100 Hottest Girls of the 2000s!
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motivatedbyhate January 14th, 2010 at 01:59 PM
when am i gonna make a living is my shit - that song and 'feel no pain' are my anthems for the recession! bonggggggggg
Chad February 10th, 2010 at 01:50 AM
I just posted her video on my blog too, Sade is amazing. Chad