For the Silky and Upbeat Sade, Love Is Still the Sweetest Taboo

Watch out, J. Lo: Sade’s on the move.

Toward the end of her two-hour concert Friday at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, the seemingly ageless singer appeared with a bandanna on her head, a simple blouse, dark pants and what looked like tap shoes to strut some streetwise choreography.

That was the evening’s biggest surprise--maybe its only one, for as any of the nearly 3 million people who bought her current “Lovers Rock” album in the U.S. know, fundamentally she’s the same sensual, ultra-cool musician as when she arrived on the pop scene 17 years ago.

Before that playful encore turn, the 42-year-old performer effortlessly demonstrated to the adoring capacity crowd that she’d scarcely added a wrinkle or even mussed her hair since she last was on the road during Bill Clinton’s first term.

Sade spent most of the evening purring her sultry R&B;, soul and jazz-laced musings on life and love outfitted in a typically elegant gold Mandarin gown, her raven hair pulled back as always to eliminate any distractions from that striking face.

The title song from her latest album, along with “By Your Side,” just reinforce her preeminence in the corner of the pop universe where emotional security abounds.

Early on, she apparently adopted Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” as her career blueprint, offering a soothing sonic oasis for listeners pummeled by screeching hard rock or assaultive hip-hop.

Even when her message veered from comfort and reassurance, as it did in such new songs of empathy for the downtrodden as “King of Sorrow” and “Slave Song,” they served primarily as reminders of why her brand of reassurance will never go out of style.

The new material dovetailed with “Smooth Operator,” “The Sweetest Taboo” and other earlier hits that got most in the crowd on their feet slow dancing with wives, husbands and lovers or even solo.

When She Roared, So Did the Crowd

Strictly as a singer, Sade’s a bit of a mystery as well. She rarely modulates her tone or dynamics and nearly avoids vibrato altogether even on the longest sustained notes. She also tends to hit notes sharp--enough to be noticeable but not off pitch far enough to ruin the romantic moods she specializes in. The few times when she threw her head back and let the volume roar, the crowd roared too for the welcome contrast.

Her distinctive enunciation reflects her Nigerian birth and London upbringing, gently infusing a world-music exoticism into her easy-listening balladry.

She tops it off with a series of recurring physical punctuation, including slow-motion, hula-like moves and swirling hand gestures.

Opening act India Arie is the 25-year-old Denver-born, Atlanta-based singer-songwriter whose debut album, “Acoustic Soul,” entered the national sales chart at No. 10 in March.

Her self-assured blend of classic R&B; with contemporary hip-hop rhythms is as distinctive as her mostly positive lyrics extolling self-love and confidence, all of which is turning the heads of fans and critics. Her 45-minute set confirmed her as one of this year’s most exciting new arrivals--and as a more playful performer than might have been expected from the serious-mindedness of her album.

Sade and India Arie play tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. Sold out. (323) 850-2000.