You’ve no doubt been humming her hit Chasing Pavements for months, but just who is Adele, the British singer-songwriter who has taken the world by storm?
Back in 2008, a somewhat unknown Myspace singer by the name of Adele Adkins caught the attention of music bigwigs when she became the first winner of the BRIT Awards Critics Choice Award. She then cemented her status as the Next Big Thing with the release of the now-hit single Chasing Pavements and her debut album 19 (which, incidentally went straight to the top of the UK charts and eventually won her two Grammys in 2009).
The then-20 year old star struggled to deal with her newfound fame and even cancelled her first US tour to be with her boyfriend at the time. However, Adele’s big break finally came when she appeared on Saturday Night Live ahead of Sarah Palin’s guest appearance, which drew in 17 million viewers. The day after her SNL performance, her album 19 topped the iTunes charts.
Since that night, Adele has continued to top the charts and win fans and awards alike... for good reason. Her highly anticipated album 21 was released earlier this year and has continued to wow the world. Her album and hit single Someone Like You went straight to number one on the UK charts, making Adele the first living artist to have two simultaneous top five singles and albums since The Beatles. And now, Adele is up for a huge seven gongs at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year and Best Pop Video.
Not too bad for a girl who was brought up by a teenage single mum and who used to sing Spice Girls songs into her hairbrush.
The British press have been quick to call the bluesy power-singer the new Amy Winehouse, while she prefers to describe her style as “heartbroken soul”.
From her refreshing openness and emotional honesty, to her relatable heart-wrenching hits, one thing’s for sure: Adele, we’ve been waiting for Someone Like You.
10 things you didn’t know about Adele
1. School reunion! Leona Lewis and Jessie J were Adele’s classmates.
2. Adele says that the Spice Girls were a huge musical influence on her and even believes that Posh, Baby, Scary, Sporty and Ginger “made me what I am today.”
3. What do Lily Allen, Duffy and Adele all have in common? As of May 2011, all three tied for 9th place on a list of the richest British and Irish music stars under 30. They’re all worth a not-too-shabby £6 million.
4. Adele is Beyonce’s favourite singer with the R&B superstar citing Adele as a musical influence on her new album 4.
5. After dumping her cheating boyfriend in a bar one morning, a tearful Adele was running along the street alone when the lyrics to Chasing Pavements came to her. She sang and recorded the entire song on her mobile.
6. Former British PM Gordon Brown is another big Adele fan; he even sent the singer a personalised letter saying “with the troubles that the country’s in financially, you’re a light at the end of the tunnel.”
7. After the 2011 MTV VMA nominations came out, angry Lady Gaga fans started attacking Adele via Twitter.
8. Her hugely successful albums, 19 and 21, were named after the age she was when she wrote the songs on them.
9. She is really shy and gets stage-fright. "I'm scared of audiences," she says. "One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don't like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot.
10. Body love: Adele is happy with her weight and says she hates going to gym, preferring instead to tuck into good food and a glass of vino. Hear, hear!
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