Adele first made an impactful impactful American breakthrough through a 2007 performance on Saturday Night Live and has become a household name ever since.
Her songs are striking in their dignity and stateliness when compared to the pop fare produced by her contemporaries, and have crossed over into multiple generations with its appeal.
How She Got Started
Adele was raised in north London with her mother, a masseuse. She attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts along with musicians Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis who also studied there.
At 18 she uploaded three demos to MySpace that caught the ear of music executives from London-based label XL Records; one caught their eye immediately, prompting them to sign her immediately.
19, her debut album, was both critically and commercially successful. Her emotional dexterity, fluid phrasing, and tasteful arrangements instantly set her apart from competitors; since then she has broken records, charts, and won over audiences around the globe with her unbridled talent and performances.
Her First Single
Adele has released four albums and released numerous popular singles since 2012. Additionally, she embarked on an international tour and gave an award-winning performance at the Brits Awards in 2014.
At a time when the music industry has seen its value halve, she stands out as an incredible source of hope and has broken album sales records worldwide – becoming a driving force of good in music.
Adele has assembled her own A Team: an esteemed collection of world-class producers and managers hired to ensure her show goes forward. These core members have been with Adele from day one; they know her voice best of all and serve as her secret weapons.
Her First Album
Adele released her debut album, 19, in January 2008. This number represents Adele’s age when writing each song that can be found on it.
The album opens up with the track Daydreamer, initially released for streaming on her MySpace page. This song displays her signature vocal tone while showing that she has talent as a singer.
However, the remainder of Adele’s record is uneven. She takes too long to get into her stride on more personal songs like Rumor Has It and My Same; To Be Loved contains some of her finest vocal performance ever.
Her Second Album
Adele demonstrated with 19 that a girl from Brixton can possess a powerful, beautiful voice capable of holding its own against British R&B’s sensuous excesses, but for her sophomore record she upped the stakes even further by crafting more nuanced narratives and employing production that made her sound like an adult when making sound choices.
On 21 she focuses on heartbreak, loss and regret – songs about failed devotion and toxic codependency may feel overlong at times – yet the album climax provides an entertaining cynical jaunt which pokes fun at its own sobriety; an impressive moment from an artist with such range.
Her Third Album
Adele’s third album continues the themes explored on her previous two – heartbreak, loss and redemption – but with greater emotional and musical maturity. To create it she enlisted some of today’s leading writer-producers like Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin and Max Martin to craft an album which feels both contemporary and retro at once.
Adele has never sounded more powerful on “To Be Loved,” an elegant ballad featuring only piano, Adele and co-writer-producer Tobias Jesso Jr. singing together; it is an example of her power to transform even mundane life events into epic narratives.
Her Fourth Album
Adele has assembled her very own A-Team: an impressive group of world-class producers and managers dedicated to keeping Adele’s show running smoothly. Although Adele tends to remain hermetic as an icon, she never shies away from admitting how her life inspired her art.
Her fourth album, 30 focuses on her divorce and guilt over leaving her son behind, but also showcases more adventurous musical ideas – not only how she tells her story over 12 songs but also with more modern musical ideas like Hold On which conveys hope that things will get better in time.