Flower of the Universe

"Flower of the Universe"
Single by Sade
from the album A Wrinkle in Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Released7 March 2018 (2018-03-07)
Length3:49
LabelSony
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Adu
  • Hale
  • Travers
Sade singles chronology
"Still in Love with You"
(2011) 		"Flower of the Universe"
(2018) 		"The Big Unknown"
(2018)
Lyric video
"Sade - Flower of the Universe (From Disney's "A Wrinkle In Time") - Lyric Video - 2018" on YouTube

"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.[1]

Background

The film's director Ava DuVernay revealed the song in a tweet on 20 February 2018, alongside a GIF of Sade.[2] "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."[3][4]

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.[5] Andrew Flanagan of NPR stated "The track is classic Sade — a lush, honey sway, a voice like thick, slow-motion silk."[6] 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".[7]

Track listing

Digital download[8]
No.TitleLength
1."Flower of the Universe"3:49
2."Flower of the Universe" (No I.D. remix)4:06

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[8]

  • Sade Adu – composition, production, vocals
  • Andrew Hale – composition, production
  • Ben Travers – composition, production
  • Miles Showell – master engineering

References

  1. ^ "Lil Yachty's 'Lil Boat 2' Sets Sail at No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. 22 March 2018.
  2. ^ Menta, Anna (20 February 2018). "Sade to Return to Music Thanks to Ava DuVernay and 'A Wrinkle in Time'". Newsweek. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  3. ^ Gibbs, Adrienne (February 21, 2018). "Why Sade, Featured On 'A Wrinkle In Time' Soundtrack, Takes Plenty Of Time Between Albums". Forbes. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  4. ^ Aswad, Jem (February 20, 2018). "Sade to Release New Song on 'Wrinkle in Time' Soundtrack". Variety. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  5. ^ Sargent, Jordan (7 March 2018). "Review: Sade – "Flower of the Universe"". Spin. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  6. ^ Flanagan, Andrew (March 6, 2018). "Sade's 'Flower Of The Universe' Is Here, And It Is Stunning". NPR. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  7. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (7 March 2018). "Flower of the Universe: hear Sade's first new music in eight years". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Flower of the Universe (From Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time") / Sade TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved 9 March 2018.