Sade becomes the group’s eight consecutive top 10 album. Her consistency is remarkable because the group’s breaks most of the key rules of the music business. Though Sade has sold millions of albums, it has had just five top 40 hits on the Hot 100, the most recent being “No Ordinary Love” in early 1993. Lovers Rock reached #3 and won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album without spawning even one top 40 hit.
Constant exposure is the key to success. Sade doesn’t play the celebrity game. You’ve probably seen Sade less on TV in the past 25 years than you’ve seen Beyonce or Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga in just the past few months. This album, Soldier of Love sold 502,000 copies in its first week, which is the greatest tally so far this year.