It could have been that Sade (collectively, the vocalist Sade Adu and her band) would have remained the darlings solely of the British underground rare-groove scene, but the sound of Diamond Life proved irresistible to the mainstream, and the rest is history. Caught at the beginning of her career in 1985, Sade s cool vocals and exotic looks grabbed everyone s attention. But equally as important to Diamond Life s success was the velvet muscle of the band s accompaniment, a sinewy after-hours groove, laden with minimalist funk. Eight of the nine tracks are self-penned. Straddling R&B and pop, this album lays out the hooks and sultry allure that became Sade s soulful standard - intelligent and sexy at the same time.