Adele set sales records and won over hearts with her first two albums, giving the music industry hope that there is money still to be made from an industry which had seen its value drop drastically over recent years.
Adele returned with her third album 25 to deliver more emotional ballads that touched hearts across the world. This special book explores both her triumphs and setbacks while unveiling the fun-loving formidable woman behind her music.
Sheer Talent
Adele is an incredible talent who reminds us all that there’s still demand for music that transcends disposable radio hits – as evidenced by her summer tour tickets selling out within minutes – which speaks volumes about Adele’s immense fan base and an overwhelming hunger for quality tunes.
Adele first made waves with her debut LP 19, featuring singles like “Hometown Glory” and “Chasing Pavements.” But it wasn’t until the release of her 2011 sophomore album 21 with its megahits such as “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You,” that Adele truly became a global phenomenon.
Adele first made headlines for her heartfelt vocals and emotionally-charged material on 21. With 25 she continues to build upon this success with some quality tracks – though some may feel formulaic or flat; nonetheless it proves her versatility as an artist by showing she can deliver more than pop records full of heartache songs.
Her Voice
Adele has an iconic voice. A mezzo-soprano who can reach up to E5 (an octave above middle C), Adele usually sings within this range but sometimes goes higher if necessary.
Her voice possesses an earthy richness and bluesy timbre, which can sound either thumpy or breathy depending on her mood. She can switch between full chest voice and lighter head voice — an approach reminiscent of jazz singers — giving her performances an earthy grunt or growl [Daydreamer].
Adele’s high notes are delicate and ethereal – a technique known as vocal fry that is commonly employed to convey pain in pop music. Unfortunately, long-term vocal fry use has proven hazardous to opera stars Rolando Villazon and Aleksandrs Antonenko’s vocal cords; thus Adele tends to avoid extremes of her voice that could pose risks.
Her Style
Adele has won an immense, dedicated fan base worldwide thanks to her emotive songs and powerful vocal performances, which draw listeners of all backgrounds into her world-class performances. Although most of Adele’s music falls into the pop genre, soul and R&B elements can also be detected within it, offering meaningful lyrics which appeal to audiences of all kinds.
Adele first came to public notice with the release of her debut album ’19’ in 2008. This album included hits like Chasing Pavements and Make You Feel My Love; at that year’s BRIT Awards she won both Critics’ Choice and Female Pop Vocal Performance awards for this performance.
Her next release, 25′ was both critically and commercially successful. Rolling in the Deep earned her a Grammy Award and led to Oscar and Golden Globe nominations as well.
Adele had previously expressed anxiety about performing live, but her Vegas residency and recent red-carpet appearances have shown her to be a natural onstage. Adele has adopted old Hollywood glamour with outfits featuring sequins, velvet and tulle as part of her performance attire.
Her Personality
Adele epitomizes an ENTJ personality type. Through music, she expresses repressed feelings while remaining highly business savvy by masterfully marketing her brand.
She doesn’t hide her playful side either, keeping audiences laughing with bawdy humor. Her quick wit and quick-witted asides during shows are legendary – even winning over Saturday Night Live viewers with a sketch lampooning COVID-19 pandemic, The Bachelor and African tourism!
As a young artist, Adele followed in Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen’s footsteps by using MySpace as a platform to release her music. Soon thereafter she found success and signed with XL records – her debut album being named 19 in honor of its recording date.