In the year 2000, English soul and jazz band Sade released their fifth studio album Lovers Rock following an eight year hiatus after their 1992 release Love Deluxe.
Upon release, the album was critically acclaimed and a stand out in Sade’s discography for its minimal production in comparison to the band’s previous releases. The album won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards and was given a rating of 87/100 by MetaCritic.
Lovers Rock, a concept album based around the up and downs surrounding love, proved to be a unique and distinguishable addition to the band’s catalog with a noticeable absence of brass instruments and “big band” sound that had been associated with the group’s earlier releases. Lovers Rock takes on a more romantic and acoustic sound with a large focus on simple guitar playing, which is the only instrument heard on some of the songs.
While I am no music expert, I am an avid listener of R&B and soul music so I have a keen understanding of what makes a good R&B record as a fan of the genre. I will be rating the album based on how much I enjoyed the production and lyrics
The production of Lovers Rock is very laid-back and romantic. Songs like “Flow” have a experimental sound with a non-linear progression throughout the song. The song stays true to its title with a very flowy mood to it.
Another production standout is “Slave Song.” It has a pounding beat to it reminiscent of deep-sounding African drums. It carried a tribal influence that matches the song’s political and social message.
On the basis of production quality, I give Lovers Rock a 8.5/10. There are many interesting and unique instrumentals on this project and I would have loved to see a deeper exploration of it in the album.
Lyrically, Lovers Rock is no run-of-the-mill pop album in its delivery. There are deep and introspective thoughts that are cleverly displayed on the record. A particularly memorable lyric from the album is in the ninth track, “Immigrant.” The song details the experience of coming to a new country and the discrimination that can come along with that. The line “He didn’t know what it was to be Black ‘til they gave him his change but didn’t want to touch his hand” says so much in one line that it rings in your mind long after hearing it.
On the basis of lyrical content, I give Lovers Rock a 9/10. Sade perfectly describes the way relationships rise and fall, with songs for both situations. Songs I feel demonstrate the sweetness of love are “All About Our Love” and “Lovers Rock;” songs that represent the flip side of love are “Somebody Already Broke My Heart” and “Every Word.”Overall, this was a very solid body of work with a collection of songs for every mood.
My favorites from the album were “Immigrant,” “It’s Only Love That Gets You Through,” “Every Word,” and “Flow.” Stream Lovers Rock on Apple Music, Spotify, or on other streaming service where available.
