Sade has not released any new music since their last album, 2010’s Solider of Love, and in the past seven years, the British band’s catalogue and trademark “quiet storm” sound has only become more and more relevant to trends in R&B and alt-pop music. Now, Sade Adu and her team have returned with a new track for Ava DuVernay’s upcoming big-budget adaptation of iconic young adult fantasy novel A Wrinkle in Time. “Flower of the Universe” is produced by No I.D., who shared the song via Audiomack (it has not yet been released on any streaming service). Ava DuVernay also posted the song on Twitter, thanking Adu: “You are a queen and a visionary and we love you.” The song is a waltz, powered by a brittle drum machine backbeat and acoustic guitar crocheting typical of Sade’s mature work. A florid orchestration surges up ominously across the course of the track. A Wrinkle in Time is out on Friday (March 9). Listen to “Flower of the Universe” below.
https://audiomack.com/embed/song/no-id-4/flower-of-the-universe
A legend. Sade, it was an honor. #wrinkleintime
— No I.D. リッチIDなしデイリー (@cocaine80s) March 6, 2018
A late-night treat for all you Flowers of the Universe. My thanks to No I.D. And thank you to @SadeOfficial. You are a queen and a visionary and we love you. #WrinkleInTime https://t.co/oen0etyYFi
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 6, 2018
Update: The No I.D. version of the song was pulled down after the original posting. Now, the producer’s version has been revealed to be a remix, and released as a B-side on an official single release of the song. The official version of the song is quite different, lacking any of the producer’s brittle drum machine and orchestral swells. Meditative and percussion-less, it’s driven by an acoustic guitar and somber backing vocal counterpoint. You can listen to both versions below. Sade has released the primary version with a new video featuring stills from Ava DuVernay’s upcoming film, which you can watch below.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/4vdEa3KgM0G1paD9aMhLh2
