Babyfather

"Babyfather" is a song from the English soul and R&B group Sade. It is the second single from their sixth studio album, Soldier of Love.

Background and writing

In this reggae-flavored number, Adu sings of a male figure who can be the father of a woman's child and a strong male role model, without necessarily being a lifemate.[1] Frontwoman Sade Adu told People that "Babyfather," is "about how great it is to be a parent, what a great honor and privilege that is, and what a terrible thing that is to waste. As long as you feel good about yourself, you can be a good parent, and then it becomes an endless fruitful cycle," she says. As for the sound of the new song, "I wanted it to sound quite rough and scrappy, not too honed," says the Grammy-winning singer, 51. "The beginning," says Sade, "feels like the ice cream van coming down the street".[2]

Reception

The entertainment reporter from Digital Spy,Mayer Nassim gave to the song 3 stars (out of 5) and say that: "'Babyfather' it's not as striking as its sultry predecessor, possessing a much friendlier, summery vibe. Twanging acoustic guitars combine with that still-rich voice, so-laidback-they're-horizontal drums and positive lyrics about fatherhood and family love. It's not the most exciting thing to hit our ears this year, but it's still nice enough stuff that should keep things ticking on for Sade fans".[3]

Music video

The music video, which features people wearing bright-colored outfits, is directed by Sophie Muller, who also took the picture for the single's cover art. It premiered on May 4, 2010 and it features frontwoman Sade Adu as a homemaker who is doing daily chores from cooking to washing dishes to doing the laundry.[4]

Promotion

The band performed the song on many talk shows. They were on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on April 12, 2010 on Dancing with the Stars on April 14 and on The Craig Ferguson Show on April 15.

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[5] 53
US Jazz Songs[6] 10

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States April 20, 2010[7] Airplay Sony Music
May, 2010[8] Digital download
United Kingdom June 7, 2010[9] Digital download, vinyl