How Sade Soothed Me through a Pandemic

I was about seven years old the first time I saw Sade’s music video for her iconic hit, “No Ordinary Love”. I remember being mesmerized at how she was able to sing underwater as a beautiful mermaid. There was something intriguing about her; mysterious even. As time progressed, I listened to some of her music here and there. I even bought her Soldier of Love album the first day it came out (the title track is one of my favorites of hers btw).

Sade is one of those “keep on living” artists. Growing up, I used to hear my parents or older people explain certain situations to me that didn’t make sense at the time. They would typically conclude by saying, “Just keep on living. You’ll understand one day.” Well, that day is now. I always believed Sade was one of the most underrated icons of the music industry. Nonetheless, most of her music lived outside of my heavy rotation.

One night back in April of 2020 (the height of the first wave of the pandemic), I couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing and nothing I tried worked. I love music but I usually don’t fall asleep to it because I get too engrossed in the melodies and the lyrics. For some reason, I decided to put on Sade’s Love Deluxe from my then Google Play account.

I must have made it halfway through “I Couldn’t Love You More” before I was sound asleep. For those that don’t know, that’s only the third track on the album. I developed a new appreciation for Love Deluxe, its standout hits (the aforementioned “No Ordinary Love”, “Kiss of Life” and “Cherish the Day”). Her voice was a silky lullaby that effortlessly calmed my mind. Soon after, I listened to that album nearly every night before I went to sleep.

The drum tinged cautionary ballad “Feel No Pain” finds her cooing in her lower register that’s sexy and relaxing all in one breath. This isn’t music I could have fully appreciated at seven years old. Now, at 35, I totally can relate to the lyrics and vibe of the music. “Like a Tattoo” is perhaps one of the best bare-bones (musically) love song my ears have ever witnessed.

I recently started collecting vinyl records and plan on adding her albums to my collection soon. Love Deluxe is the pinnacle of Sade’s illustrious career (in my opinion) and arguably one of the most definitive Pop/Soul albums of the last several decades.