Beyoncé may be the baddest chick in the game but Sade Adu is the matriarch. On her current North American tour, the first since the band’s last one ten years ago and rumored to be the last one ever, Adu showcases the art or minimalism. BET.com attended the East Rutherford, New Jersey performance on Friday at the Izod Center where the 52-year-old icon wasted no time wow’ing fans and keeping everyone at the sold-out arena on the edge of their seats.

From top to bottom, with John Legend as the opening act, Sade kept the crowd on their feet. The band ascended to the stage like superheroes rising to the sun. Adu, stepping out in all black with her trademark ponytail and red lips, kicked the show off with “Solider of Love” and a few dance steps to go with it.

Knowing exactly what her admirers love most, the British beauty wove in old and new tracks with a set design that transported the theater to various stages of the band’s career. From “Smooth Operator,” with Key Largo and Chicago marquee signs in the backdrop to working a huge gauze curtain as a psychedelic screen, the band rocked for two hours with the expertise of having done exactly that for the past 27 years.

Even better, the band appeared to have a blast performing for the masses. Saxophonist/guitarist Stuart Matthewman is a force and when coupled with Adu’s voice, he turns into an untouchable musical monster. If this does happen to be their last tour, there’s no denying the effect they’ve had on music lovers. 

(Photo: EPA/WALTER BIERI /LANDOV)