Flower of the Universe
{{Infobox song
| name = Flower of the Universe
| cover = Sade Flower of the Universe.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Sade
| album = A Wrinkle in Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
| released = {{start date|2018|3|7|df=y}}
| genre =
| length = {{duration|m=3|s=49}}
| label = Sony
| writer = {{hlist|Sade Adu|Andrew Hale|Ben Travers}}
| producer = {{hlist|Adu|Hale|Travers}}
| chronology = Sade
| prev_title = Still in Love with You
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title = The Big Unknown
| next_year = 2018
| misc = {{External music video|header=Lyric video|{{YouTube|m7b8hitvfoE|"Flower of the Universe"}}}}
}}
"Flower of the Universe" is a song recorded by the British singer Sade Adu for the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time. Written and produced by Sade, Andrew Hale and Ben Travers, it was released as the lead single from the soundtrack, serving as Sade's first song in seven years. The song starts at No. 25 on "R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales" with 6,000 sold in the week ending March 15, 2018.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8257582/lil-yachty-lil-boat-2-debut-top-rb-hip-hop-albums-chart|title=Lil Yachty's 'Lil Boat 2' Sets Sail at No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart|magazine=Billboard|date=22 March 2018}}
Background
The film's director Ava DuVernay revealed the song in a tweet on 20 February 2018, alongside a GIF of Sade.{{cite news|last=Menta|first=Anna|title=Sade to Return to Music Thanks to Ava DuVernay and 'A Wrinkle in Time'|url=http://www.newsweek.com/sade-wrinkle-time-soundtrack-ava-duvernay-813683|accessdate=9 March 2018|work=Newsweek|date=20 February 2018}} "I never thought she'd say yes, but asked anyway. She was kind plus giving. A goddess. We began a journey together that I'll never forget. Proud to announce that Sade has created an original song for Wrinkle in Time. It's entitled 'Flower of the Universe.' And it's a dream come true."{{cite news|last=Gibbs|first=Adrienne|title=Why Sade, Featured On 'A Wrinkle In Time' Soundtrack, Takes Plenty Of Time Between Albums|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriennegibbs/2018/02/21/sade-song-wrinkle-in-time-soundtrack-album-ava/#35b3dc006be8|accessdate=9 March 2018|work=Forbes|date=February 21, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Aswad|first=Jem|title=Sade to Release New Song on 'Wrinkle in Time' Soundtrack|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/sade-to-release-new-song-on-wrinkle-in-time-soundtrack-1202705325/|accessdate=9 March 2018|work=Variety|date=February 20, 2018}}
Reception
Jordan Sargent of Spin commented "Flower of the Universe" feels of a piece with Soldier of Love—the band’s most recent album, released in 2010—which sucked the grooves out of their sound in favor of a stillness that conveyed both the vulnerability and strength inherent in isolation. Likewise, there are no drums present on “Flower of the Universe”—instead, the song’s arrangement (written in tandem with bandmate Andrew Hale and another collaborator, Ben Travers) is constructed only from the strums of an acoustic guitar and cooed backing harmonies that seem to stretch far and wide. The song—about a mother’s eternal love—suggests that Sade is out somewhere in the wilderness, detached from the rest of humanity. It invites repeated listens and eventually envelops you, offering a calming, nourishing comfort.{{cite web |last1=Sargent |first1=Jordan |title=Review: Sade – "Flower of the Universe" |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/03/sade-flower-of-the-universe-review/ |website=Spin |accessdate=25 June 2019 |date=7 March 2018}} Andrew Flanagan of NPR stated "The track is classic Sade — a lush, honey sway, a voice like thick, slow-motion silk."{{cite web |last1=Flanagan |first1=Andrew |title=Sade's 'Flower Of The Universe' Is Here, And It Is Stunning |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/03/06/591133042/sades-flower-of-the-universe-is-here-and-it-is-stunning |publisher=NPR |accessdate=25 June 2019 |language=en |date=March 6, 2018}} Ben Baumont-Thomas of The Guardian noted "Backed by pretty acoustic guitar and almost eerie wordless backing vocals, Sade delivers a typically spellbinding vocal line. The sentimental lyric is aimed at a child, described as a "flower of the universe".{{cite web |last1=Beaumont-Thomas |first1=Ben |title=Flower of the Universe: hear Sade's first new music in eight years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/07/flower-of-the-universe-hear-sade-first-new-music-in-eight-years |website=The Guardian |accessdate=25 June 2019 |date=7 March 2018}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download{{cite web|title=Flower of the Universe (From Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time") / Sade TIDAL|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/85484220|website=Tidal|accessdate=9 March 2018}}
| title1 = Flower of the Universe
| length1 = 3:49
| title2 = Flower of the Universe
| note2 = No I.D. remix
| length2 = 4:06
}}
Credits and personnel
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|m7b8hitvfoE|Sade - Flower of the Universe (From Disney's "A Wrinkle In Time") - Lyric Video - 2018}}
{{Sade}}
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