Sade marks return to music with track dedicated to transgender son
The legendary singer is contributing to Transa, an album uplifting trans and non-binary artists
By Dale Fox
British singer-songwriter Sade is set to break her long musical silence with the release of a new song, marking her first original material in over five years.
The track, titled ‘Young Lion’, will feature on a compilation album supporting transgender awareness, scheduled for release on 22 November.
The song is dedicated to Sade’s son Izaak who identifies as transgender, and will be part of Transa, an album celebrating trans and non-binary artists. It features over 100 contributors across 46 tracks.
“Trans people have always existed, with many different names across time and culture, often as spiritual healers and leaders,” a message on Sade’s official Instagram account reads.
“As global systems continue to fail humanity and all life on Earth, the journey taken by trans people – and all peoples who have been oppressed – is a blueprint of possibility. May this be a glimpse of our collective liberation, and the light inside all of us.”
“We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society” – Transa creator Dust Reid
Transa is the brainchild of Dust Reid and artist Massima Bell, who began compiling the album in 2021.
“We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate,” Reid said, according to Variety.
“We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.”
The album will include a mix of covers and original tracks from a diverse array of artists. Alongside Sade, other notable contributors include Sam Smith, André 3000, and Jeff Tweedy.
The first single from Transa has already been released, featuring longtime Prince collaborators Wendy & Lisa alongside Lauren Auder on a cover of Prince’s ‘I Would Die 4 U’.