Sweetest Taboos

Sade has shown through the years she is more than a smooth operator and more than a soldier of love: she is a seductress. She’s seduced us again with The Ultimate Collection.

Sade’s latest greatest hits collection covers (and uncovers) it all. From the love-making epics (“No Ordinary Love”), to the seductive dance tracks (“Smooth Operator”) and the romantic escapades (“Paradise”). There are the sappy sweet songs (“By Your Side”), the euphoric energies (“Sweetest Taboo”), plus some hidden gems (“Bullet Proof Soul”). The Ultimate Collection proves to be two discs to fulfill almost every desire.

But there are a few gems left off, like the super smooth “Somebody Broke My Heart,” the sweet ditty “Whan Am I Gonna Make A Living” and the bass-heavy “Turn My Back On You.” Even being a 2-disc set, this compilation cannot even begin to touch on the titillating tracks that fill up Sade’s six studio LPs.

But back to the songs that did make the cut. “Love is Found” is Sade’s first time making music not for for making love, but for full on, passionate, sweaty sex. On the other side, “I Would Have Never Guessed” makes for the perfect music to hold on to each other as the rain falls in the distance. “Still in Love With You” doesn’t quite hit the spot like the other two, but any Sade song is too sexy to skip.

But what would have been perfect would be lounge/chill remixes of Sade’s greatest hits. Instead we get a dated mix of “By Your Side” by The Neptunes and a bland remix of “The Moon and the Sky” featuring Jay-Z. While a bit of an anti-climax, a few drab remixes don’t diminish the heat the rest of the collection brings.

At the end of the night, nobody can deny the sensual pleasures Sade has given her audience through the years. Her voice, her music, her words – they all ooze with the tingling sexuality that has driven the world crazy by giving us the sweetest taboos.

Sade will be performing her greatest hits this summer on her “Soldier of Love World Tour,” which hits Atlanta July 12 and 13, because one night is never enough.