Sade Adu Returns with ‘Young Lion’ on ‘TRAИƧA’ Album

This is the ever-churning ocean of musical collaborations and benefit albums. Where releases come and go like high tide, there emerges a beacon of audacious creativity. The one that refuses to blend into the background. Enter ‘TRAИƧA’, a compilation that throws a spotlight on trans artistry. And paints it in every color of the rainbow – quite literally, with its eight chapters mirroring the pride flag. Notably, the album features a tribute to Sade Adu Young Lion, adding another layer of depth to its artistic range.

The Elusive Queen Of Smooth Operator

Now, if you’re sitting there, eyebrow raised, thinking “Another benefit album? Yawn…” hold onto your ironic trucker hat because this one’s steering into uncharted waters. Among the constellation of over 100 artists, we find none other than Sade Adu. The elusive queen of “Smooth Operator” fame, who is returning to the musical fold after a six-year sabbatical. Yes, the very same Sade who has mastered the art of popping up. Just long enough to remind us of what soulful longing sounds like, before vanishing into the ether of her notoriously private life.

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Her upcoming track, Young Lion, anchors the Liberation chapter of the album. And in a poetic twist that would make Shakespeare toss his quill out of sheer jealousy, the song is dedicated to her son, Izaak Theo Adu, a trans man. A tribute, a mother’s melodious embrace of her son’s journey towards his authentic self and proudly carrying the legacy of Sade Adu Young Lion.

Turn Grief Into Possibility

But wait, there’s more. The album also features a 26-minute instrumental odyssey by André 3000. Cryptically titled ‘Something Is Happening And I May Not Fully Understand But I’m Happy To Stand For The Understanding‘. If that’s not a title that screams for a double take, what does? It’s as though André decided to challenge the very concept of streaming algorithms and attention spans, all in one fell swoop.

The architects behind this grand audio-visual spectacle? Dust Reid and Massima Bell, who’ve apparently decided to hurl it into the cosmos. They speak of positioning trans and non-binary individuals as societal vanguards, the kind of profound introspection that could only be sparked by tragedy. The untimely demise of visionary artist SOPHIE.

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Their mission? To turn grief into possibility, painting an audio landscape where the perpetual struggle and resilience of the trans community are not just acknowledged but celebrated. “One thing trans people do all the time is turn grief into possibility,” says Bell, in what might be the understatement of the decade.

Music – An Ever-Evolving Journey

As the album gears up for its release with a cover of Prince’s ‘I Would Die 4 U’ – a track that now boasts the spectral fingerprints of Wendy & Lisa of The Revolution – Lauren Auder confesses to a year-long Prince marathon at age 13. Frankly, who among us hasn’t had that phase? It’s a poignant reminder that music, like identity, is an ever-evolving journey.

So as ‘TRAИƧA’ prepares to grace our ears, it offers a manifesto, a map of what music can represent and accomplish in a world still grappling with the binary. The album TRAИƧA is set to release on November 22, 2024, from redhot.org. And as for Sade, our beloved enigma, her rare emergence with Sade Adu Young Lion reminds us why her reign as the Queen of queens persists. In the kingdom of fleeting musical trends, she remains, forever, royalty.

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