She is not a belter, but would you say her voice itself is extraordinary and that she has a wide range? Would you say she is a stylist per se? I love her, but I wonder if one of the reasons she has lasted so long is because she has a great band, interesting arrangements and is an original. Her voice sounds a bit thin to me.

True, Sade isn't a belter, but I don't find her voice to be weak at all really and I think she has good range (I.e. "Is It A Crime", "Pearls",etc.). I would describe her voice as smoky and sultry. What I like most about Sade's voice is that she has a unique, distinctive tone to her voice and her phrasing is different as well. Maybe technically she isn't the greatest vocalist. I think she's probably more of a stylist that anything else.

But It's not always about hitting high notes anyway though. At least not for me. Tone has a lot to do with it for me and I really like her tone. When you hear a Sade song, you immediately know it's her. She has a distinctive voice.
[Edited 2/26/10 18:03pm]

Helen and the group Sade are the perfect example of a "formula" that is timeless. No, she's no powerhouse singer, but they know how to write the perfect songs for her range. Like Cinnamon said, it's not all about hitting high note and having perfect pitch. It's a formula that involves emotion and instrumentation.

She has her own distinctive style, and she has a jazz and blues voice. It worked for her mainstream. Also honestly, her looks enhanced her marketwise. I like her.

she's just an unique face with black girl pipes and soul

JesusFreak said:

Well she is half-Black African. Her father was Nigerian with a Yoruban background. Her voice does not sound like a black woman, she just sounds like a female singer with a distinctive sound to her voice, that's all her own.
[Edited 2/26/10 19:01pm]

2elijah said:

yup

and it is

daPrettyman said:

exactly right. i've never considered range as the most important factor of who is a "great" singer. it all depends on what they do w/ their voice that matters.

no she is not a great singer but she created her own lane and manages to stay in it.i think european singers can get away with not having what some would call a great voice more then american female (especially black) singers.

Lowkey, why is that?

her band jams .. her voice gives me shivers .. i hope she tours soon its been awhile. :

I like Sade well-enough but no, I don't consider her a great singer. I think she has endured because she has always had such strong Pop crossover appeal.