In the army now

First and foremost, I want to thank, profusely, my co-worker for calling to my attention something that I did not know. As a Sade fan, I should have known that this particular event would occur weeks in advance. Apparently, I was so busy listening to something else rather than doing what any good Sade fan does and keep my ears to the ground. Regardless, I find myself thrilled beyond all reason.

She's back...

Scratch that. She did not come back. She stormed back onto the stage and in her brief, but powerful, wake she pushed aside any musician in her genre who, in her absence, felt the need to call him/herself an artist. Artist resurgences such as these are, for me, the reason to hold onto (barely, I find more so lately much to my chagrin) faith in the music industry.

Soldier of Love is as much a nod to her Stronger than Pride days as it is an answer to the melancholy found on Somebody Already Broke My Heart. Although, I may be a bit premature in reviewing this song and making comparisons to works gone by, I cannot help but feel that this new track is her grabbing us by the ears (the same ones that should have been to the proverbial ground) and telling us that love, regardless of where we find it or how it manifests itself in our respective lives, is worth fighting for.

Now I can see critics lambasting this as not really a creative departure from what she's put out in the past, but why reinvent the wheel? We know what she does well and we've seen her take steps outside of what is her comfort zone. Admitedly few steps, but steps none the less. Additionally, doesn't the fact that she sings so consitently about the trials and tribulations of love pay homage to the fact that loving someone is, more often than not, a journey of ups and downs rather than a destination to which we arrive at and stay decidedly? Where it might seem that she's beating a dead horse, it's actually acknowledging the fact that we, as humans, are cyclical in nature. We love, we come across something that threatens this love, we find pros and cons for continuing to love someone, yet in the end we realize that we were bound to love this person and had very little choice in the matter to begin with. I suppose the parallel that she draws with "Soldier of Love" to that of a warrior, of sorts, for love is an apt choice. Anyone who's been in love knows that there are struggles, trials and tribulations that, if conquered, make you the stronger for having gone through them and succeeded. Honestly, I can't help but laugh to myself at the ridiculous images going through my mind right now. I'm picturing those Marines and Army recruiting commercials playing, yet this track is playing in the background. What an image!



Sade's a soldier of love, dammit and she wants you too!!!

Perhaps I'm reading into her work too much rather than doing what most rational people do and just enjoy the music.

Anyways, if you find yourself listening to this song and marching along to it's beat, then you too may be a recruit in Sade's army. A soldier of love indeed.