When Sade's debut album, "Diamond Life", was released, it fit perfectly with the British pop music zeitgeist. At the time, bands such as Working Week and Matt Bianco were blending jazz and pop. Sade was the most commercially successful figurehead of this 'new wave of pop jazz'. Everything about their image was perfect: the sensuous yet cool contralto voice of former model Sade Adu and the dominant saxophone of Stuart Matthewman reflected the fashion and approach to pop music of the time. 'Sophisti-pop' was elegant and sensual, yet also somewhat old-fashioned and melancholic. Admittedly, Sade never had anything to do with real jazz. This album features two of their most successful singles: 'Smooth Operator' and 'Your Love Is King'. It was the most commercially successful album of Sade’s career, although all their albums remained successful right into the nineties. "Diamond Life" may not be their best album, but it has a classic 1980s vibe and has aged remarkably well, offering polished, perfectly produced pop. Sade's last studio album, "Soldier of Love", was released in 2010, and the band continued to perform to enthusiastic audiences worldwide until 2011. Despite long intervals between performances, the line-up remained virtually unchanged. Repeated rumours that a new album is in the works have emerged, but so far, only some singles for soundtracks and charity have been released. Sade Adu now lives a secluded life in England.