Today's Pick

Adding some smoothness to the sweaty summer heat, English soul/R&B band Sade issues the music video for "Love Is Found," one of four previously unreleased tracks featured on her new two-disc project, "The Ultimate Collection," which is in stores now. The clip features footage of Sade and the band on stage from their current "Soldier of Love" international tour, and it's a sleek and sexy clip shot during one of the band's live shows. After all, as choreographed silhouettes dance across a screen in the background.
The band is named after their British Nigerian lead vocalist, Sade Adu, who has been in the game for over two decades and she still keeps the quality music coming. Her unreleased new tune, "Love Is Found," is a mid-tempo electronic number with a slight air of menace about it. "Love is Found" takes its time to build as R&B songstress Sade coos over rising strings for the first minute or so. It then launches into a huge tune that revolves around snarling guitars, a thick bass line, and her vocal changes. If you were looking for a reason to pick up "The Ultimate Collection," this is it.
"Love is Found" isn't merely one of four previously unreleased cuts that made Sade's recently released album. The track also happens to be the best unreleased cut that made the compilation. Frontwoman Sade's vocals are, as always, intoxicating as she drifts above the surging sound of strings and bass, all of which erupt once the track hits its stride. And instead of going over the top with the visual accompaniment, which could have easily happened given the soundtrack-ready composition, Sade keeps its relatively simple here.
Presented in black and white, the Sophie Mueller-directed live performance video showcases Sade and her full band in action as shadow-like figures dance on the screen behind them like faceless giants, as the band tears up the stage with some help from an interpretive dance team, who keep the visual element engaging but never to the point of absurdity. Sade strikes quite the gamine pose and is dressed head to toe in black with flats, and while the fashion may have changed, she retains her aura of regality, somehow existing in a place slightly elevated from the rest of us mere mortals. Glamorous frontwoman proves she is indeed a smooth operator and even does some fancy foot-shuffling of her own at the end.