The recording of the album primarily took place at the Real World Studios in Box, England, with additional sessions at El Cortijo in San Pedro de Alcántara, Spain.

Upon its release, Soldier of Love received generally positive reviews from most music critics and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

[6] Following an eight-year hiatus, Sade released their fifth studio album, Lovers Rock, in November 2000, which became a commercial success, selling 3.9 million copies in the United States by February 2010.

"[10] Denman stated that because each member of the band lived on different continents and did not bring any completed songs into the studio, the writing and recording process took a long time.

[17] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot wrote favorably of Sade Adu's singing, stating "she remains alluring and subtly rewarding, while still keeping the listener at a safe distance, as if she had even deeper secrets to guard.

"[21] The Daily Telegraph's Tom Horan gave the album five stars and commented that its songs are "beautifully balanced between warmth and toughness, vulnerability and hauteur.

"[30] Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the album three out of four stars and complimented its "sophisticated and soulful grooves", stating, "Sade may not be giving us anything radically new, but it's a pleasure just to have her back doing what she's always done so well.

"[20] Benjamin Boles of Now wrote that its production "sounds a bit tougher and chunkier than the band's early work, but the classic Sade vibe we love is still front and centre.

"[33] In a mixed review, AllMusic's Andy Kellman felt that the album's lyrical themes are bleak, writing that "a fair portion ... comes off as drained-sounding, only echoed with vanilla arrangements that are merely functional".

[34] The Guardian writer Caroline Sullivan was ambivalent towards the group's "pop-soul" and "quiet storm" style on the album, but added that the "lushness and understatement" is balanced by "lyrics of surprising transparency".

[23] Despite calling its mood "morose" and expressing a mixed response towards its "bleakness and melancholy", All About Jazz critic Jeff Winbush viewed Soldier of Love as an improvement over Sade's previous album, Lovers Rock.

[35] MSN Music's Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention, citing "Babyfather" and the title track as highlights, and quipped, "I'm glad she finally put some beats on her sang-froid, but by the time she gets around to setting Ghost up with a 16 he'll probably be out of the life.

[42][43] The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) within one month of its release, on 15 March 2010,[44] and as of April 2011, it had sold 1.3 million copies in the US.

[55] Soldier of Love had sold 2.3 million copies outside the UK by the end of 2010, becoming that year's second best-selling album worldwide by a British artist, behind Susan Boyle's The Gift.