"The Sweetest Taboo" is a song by English band Sade from their second studio album, Promise (1985). It was released in October 1985 as the album's lead single. While the song peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart, it fared considerably better in the United States, where it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1986, remaining in the top 40 for 13 weeks. It also became the band's second consecutive number-one single on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart, following "Smooth Operator".
Music Video
The music promo for the song, directed by Brian Ward, features the band playing in a New York jazz lounge whilst Sade reflects on a man who was a former lover. The storyline was continued in the video to follow-up single "Is It a Crime?".
Reception
Tanya Rena Jefferson of AXS stated, "The group allows the song to shine with its mellow and uptempo flavor. Sade sings proudly and boldly about how she is given love which brings out the best in her. The quiet storm vibe allows one to stand and groove dance to the soulful peaceful sound of the song."[5]
Track listings
7-inch single (UK and Portugal)
A. "The Sweetest Taboo" – 4:25
B. "You're Not the Man" – 5:20
7-inch single (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and select European countries)
^Pitchfork Staff (24 August 2015). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 October 2022. Quiet storm" had existed as an idea since Smokey Robinson, and there it is at the heart of the song's chorus: "There's a quiet storm, and it's never felt like this before.
^Considine, J.D.; Coleman, Mark; Evans, Paul; McGee, David (1992). "Sade". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York: Random House. p. 263.
^"Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Sade" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".