Sade is back and she’s allegedly 51, but the woman doesn’t look much different than she did in the 80s. Sade is the singer in the British group Sade, known for their 1985 hit Smooth Operator. She’s got a new album out that she’s promoting called Soldier of Love and she sounds and looks just as good as she did over 25 years ago. If she had plastic surgery I want the number of her doctor because she looks incredible. I saw her on The View this morning and was blown away. Sure she’s still rocking the big earrings and the slicked back hair, but somehow the look still works for her and doesn’t make her look dated at all. Here’s more on Sade’s comeback after a ten year hiatus:

The singer Sade is as well known for what she doesn’t do as what she does.

She doesn’t ordinarily sit down for extensive interviews. She almost never pops up on the red carpet or in the lenses of the paparazzi. And for someone known for her music, she hasn’t released all that much of it.

Her new album, “Soldier of Love” — which came out Tuesday — marks only her sixth studio album in 25 years, and her first since the very successful “Lovers Rock,” which came out in 2000.

Message boards and fans have been buzzing for months about her return.

“She has had an unusual career path, but I think for her it’s worked because she sits outside of trends,” said David Prince, news editor for Billboard.com. “She keeps it rare and special.”

Technically, Sade is a band — the singer and musicians Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale along with drummer Pete Lewinson who has joined them on tour.

But ordinarily when people refer to Sade, they are talking about the smoky-voiced Helen Folasade Adu, daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother.

Her first album, “Diamond Life,” contained the hit singles “Smooth Operator,” “Your Love Is King” and “Hang On To Your Love.” It went multiplatinum and established her around the world.

Her deep, sultry voice quickly became a staple of U.S. radio stations featuring the “quiet storm” style of music, heavy on mood and romance.

Her performances over the years were lush in their understatement — Sade resplendent, hair pulled back, jamming with her band. No guest rappers, no samples and no frenetic backup dancers. Just the music.

According to Billboard, all of her albums — including a live album and a greatest hits album — have made the Top 10, with “Lovers Rock” selling 3.9 million copies. She’s also had eight Top 10 R&B singles in a row, including the latest, “Soldier of Love.”

[From CNN]

Sade said on The Today Show that her 13 year-old daughter is singing with her on her new CD. It sounds like she took time off to raise her daughter, and now she’s back better than ever. “Soldier of Love” was released in the US yesterday and is currently the number one album on the iTunes download charts.

Here’s Sade on Letterman yesterday performing Soldier of Love.

And on The Today Show. The audio on her voice is too low but you can tell that she still has those beautiful pipes:

And here’s the official video for Solider of Love.