Work Drugs | Photo by Josh Pelta-Heller for WXPN | koalafoto.com
Work Drugs pay tribute to Sade on “Fantasy File”
Beloved quiet storm R&B singer and songwriter Helen Folasade Adu (that’s Sade to you) turned 60 years old last Wednesday, January 16th, and to pay tribute to her, Philly smooth operators Work Drugs wrote, recorded, and released a new song in her honor. A suave sax lead by Max Gast opens “Fantasy File” up in a very Sade style, with sultry slow electronic beats kicking things up as Thomas Crystal’s vocals make a decoration of devotion: “You’ve been ruling my world since I found you. Now I don’t feel any pain.” The lyrics are kept purposely vague: are Work Drugs singing to a lover here? Are they singing about the very drugs alluded to in their band name? You could read it that way, or you could just see it as a loving tribute to one of the most indelible voices in pop. Listen below.