The swagger that often accompanies natural beauty is something to behold. Whether it takes the form of an elegant woman with an assured voice, in the bounty of a springtime meadow, in an image of said woman running through said springtime meadow, or in the music that accompanies these visions, the aesthetically blessed carry an essence that exudes confidence.  We’re mostly talking about the singer Helen Folasade Adu here, better known to anyone who’s ever made love after midnight as Sade, purveyor of some of the smoothest, most romantic songs of love and desire of the past three decades.  Appearing on Friday night for the first of three consecutive nights at the Staples Center as part of her “Soldier of Love” tour, the Nigerian-born, British-raised pop vocalist and her excellent namesake band brought to the sold-out arena an intimacy that few other singers can. Over the course of two hours, four costume changes, countless set transformations and 22 songs, the ageless Sade offered highlights from throughout her and the band’s career. Versatile singer, songwriter and bandleader John Legend opened.  Whereas someone like Bruce Springsteen or Lady Gaga drives their way into the hearts of large crowds with overwhelming energy and volume, Sade on Friday controlled her environment with restraint and allure, drawing us in rather than forcing herself upon us -- unless, that is, one considers projecting onto a huge screen footage of her frolicking through nature to be a bit over-the-top.  She began with “Soldier of Love,” the striking title track from her most recent album. “I’ve lost the use of my heart, but I’m still alive,” she sang, introducing pain and grace in the same breath, saluting the crowd like a soldier to a superior as guitarist Stuart Matthewman delivered quick bursts of tense, distorted strum, and bassist Paul S. Denman roamed below with dubby bottom-end support.  Sade’s singular obsession is the heart in the broadest sense: the universal beating thing that contains not only romance, but charity, compassion, tenderness and peace -- one she described on “Kiss of Life” as having “tons of love inside.” Sex is the least of the singer’s lyrical concerns; she focuses more on the moments pre- and post-coital: the anticipation and idealized hope of emotional connection, and the snuggle and all-enveloping warmth that follows.  On Friday, Sade was better at conveying mood and delivering melody than she was at carrying her songs with voice alone, but her strength has never been her vocal range. Her talent, best expressed on "Your Love is King" and "Love is Stronger Than Pride," is in her ability to adeptly convey the emotion of her lyrics, which approach matters of the heart without slipping into melodrama or platitudes -- save a few near misses.  At her best, as on “The Sweetest Taboo,” her voice not only sang but hummed and whispered, as though her desire were an urgent secret, even if the aspirational sentiment at the song’s center -- “Every day is Christmas, and every night is New Year's Eve” -- is unrealistic at best and naive at worst. But her gift lies in her confidence in expressing both the simplicity and complexity of love, and the deft way she crafts moments that in lesser hands would be mushy.  A well-imagined stage set enveloped Sade. Silken and velvet curtains rose as if out of nowhere and then cascaded down onto the floor with each passing song. Images of the seasons projected onto white fabric surrounded her, making her look like a Vogue spread come to life. A film clip of Sade running through a grove of trees and rolling around on the grass, tender smile on her face, eclipsed the presence of the singer herself on stage. Indeed, she may be the most graceful, elegant megalomaniac in pop music (with apologies to Cher).  But she’s certainly not selfish. Her charity felt absolutely genuine, and it extended from the crowd to her band, roughly the same core lineup as when they released their debut album in 1984. She offered wide open space for solos (guitarist Matthewman doubled as the band's saxophonist, and worked hard during the show), which she punctuated with loving smiles at each conclusion. They, in turn, crafted a comfortable bed of smooth cocktail soul for her to lay the details of her diamond life upon.  This bond between singer, band and crowd was best illustrated near the end of the show, after a delicate version of "By Your Side." Onstage, the members mingled and hugged each other while the crowd applauded, and it felt like a gathering of kindred spirits who'd just been through something very beautiful, if not overwhelmingly important, together.  How they rocked before the revolution: Iranian rock of the '70s  In Rotation: Aaron Goldberg and Guillermo Klein, ‘Bienestan’  In Rotation: 'Red Hot & Rio 2'  Photos: Sade performs at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 19, 2011. Credit: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times.
A live review of the first evening of Sade's three-night stand at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Reviewed by Times pop critic Randall Roberts.