Flower of the Universe
by Sade

Album: A Wrinkle In Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2018)
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Songfacts®:

  • Sade's first new composition in eight years, "Flower of the Universe" was written especially for the Ava DuVernay-directed movie A Wrinkle in Time. The English songstress co-wrote and co-produced the track with her keyboardist Andrew Hale and guitarist Ben Travers. Sade last released original music with her 2010 album Soldier Of Love.
  • A Wrinkle in Time is based on the 1962 science-fiction novel of the same name by Madeleine L'Engle. The storyline follows a young girl called Meg who sets off on a quest to find her father, who went missing after discovering a new planet.
  • According to Ava DuVernay, she never expected Sade to agree to her request for music. "I never thought she'd say yes, but asked anyway," the director tweeted. "She was kind and giving. A goddess. We began a journey together that I'll never forget."
  • This is Sade's second original song contribution to a soundtrack following "Killer Blow" for 1986's Absolute Beginners.
  • The A Wrinkle in Time soundtrack includes two versions of "Flower of the Universe" performed by Sade, one of which is a remix American hip hop and R&B music producer No I.D. The Chicago beatmaker is best known for his collaborations with Jay-Z, which include the Blueprint 3 tracks "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and "Run This Town" plus the entire 4:44 album.
  • Sade sings about an unconditional love that is "far and wide." Ava DuVernay recalled how was so inspired by the passionate ballad she altered her regular work method.

    "Each song on the soundtrack was crafted with great care in close collaboration with the artists," she said. "My creative partnership with Sade on 'Flower of the Universe' was so connected that I reverse engineered the usual process and used her lyrics as actual dialogue within the film."

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