Sade speaks out - on events in singer's life since 1989

Ebony, April, 1993 by Aldore Collier

It was this soothing sound, delivered in an easygoing style, that quickly yielded some incredible and unexpected results--especially when you consider that, from the beginning, Sade only wanted to make music that her friends would be proud of Between 1985 and 1989, the raspy-voiced singer's three albums sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and the long-awaited Love Deluxe lifted her back to the pedestal that's occupied by such stars as Anita Baker and Whitney Houston. But more than that, the new album marked the first step toward her return to the concert stage, which has been greeted with so much enthusiasm that tickets to her performances in cities like Chicago, los Angeles and New York were sold-out within an hour.

Now that Sade's career has been resurrected, has been much easier, she says, for her to continue with other phases of her life. And looking back, the singer who describes herself as "a modern person" says it was the time she spent out of the public's eye that allowed her to be introspective, and it also gave her a chance to realign her priorities.

Surprisingly, at the top of that list is the thought of adopting children. "I have thought of adopting since I was a very young kid because my mother wanted to give birth to two kids [Sade and her brother Banji] and adopt two, but she couldn't afford to," she says. "I would like to adopt two [children], and one day I probably will."

This scenario, however, won't necessarily include another attempt at marriage, she says, since she's not considering it for the immediate future. Even though Sade makes it clear that one bad marriage hasn't soured her on the institution in general, she points out that anyone who is thinking about taking that step should stop, seriously examine their situation and ask themselves, "Do I really want to be married at this moment in my life? Am I ready for this?"

Only Sade knows when she'll be ready to try marriage again, but in the meantime, she's putting her life back together with renewed vigor. Music, again, is at the center of her life; pragmatism dictates her decisions, and--thanks to those four added years--she's now displaying the kind of maturity that's usually associated with persons who are well beyond her 34 years. And, surprisingly--unlike many others in show business--age is no longer a negative in her life; it apparently is contributing to her happiness. "I think I prefer being older," she says. "Life doesn't necessarily better; you get better at life."