REVIEW: Sade's 'Soldier of Love'

Sixth studio album worth the wait

Editors Note: The following is an excerpt from a recent Laney Tower review of Sade's new album, "Soldier of Love.

By Tracey Tate
Special to TheBlackHour.com

'Soldier of Love' ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ -The Black Hour

Sade plays with us. She toys with our affections. She's here, and then she disappears. She lulls us in with her rhythms, pulsations, lyrical stories that shoot straight to the heart.

Then she's off for 10 years gathering more stories for her next project.

Sade has moved on from being a heartbroken lover and is now Soldier of Love.

"I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I'm not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand," she said.

Sade has grown up. From flirting with a "Smooth Operator" and confessing "Your Love is King," her voice is still haunting, her words still mournful, but Sade has moved on from being a heartbroken lover and is now "Soldier of Love." Her poetic verses have deepened, as have her background instrumentals.

'I'm at the borderline of my faith/ I'm at the hinterland of my devotion/ In the frontline of this battle of mine, but I'm still alive/ I'm a soldier of love.' Sade

Smooth jazzy tracks have been typical of Sade. But on the title track, "Soldier of Love," snare drums, a marching beat, and a chorus that sounds like soldiers chanting during drills creates an indelible musical footprint in your mind. Sade painfully admits that in the battle of love she stands tall, she is enduring.

"I'm at the borderline of my faith/I'm at the hinterland of my devotion," she sings. "In the frontline of this battle of mine, but I'm still alive/I'm a soldier of love."

Sade is no longer the dependent woman she was in 2000 when she released "Lovers Rock," declaring her desperation and dependence.

In days of bootyliciousness, it's refreshing to hear musical purity at it's best. "Soldier of Love" does not disappoint, particularly if you are heartbroken and need commiseration.

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Tracey Tate is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning Laney Tower newspaper. A 25 year veteran of the Beauty industry, she blogs at BlingingBeauty.com.

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