The singer/songwriter out of the United Kingdom that has won major awards, along with being the highest selling female artist in U.K. pop chart history and has been honored by Prince Charles himself. Is there any thing that Adele hasn’t done in her somewhat brief career?
When people think of international pop music in this decade, people think of Adele. They think of her sultry singer/songwriter vibe and they also think of her having this powerful voice that is empowering for women the world over.
Adele graduated from a music school that also included U.K. pop stars Leona Lewis and Jessie J in her graduating class. She released a three song demo for a school project and posted it on MySpace and that proceeded to a record deal from XL Recordings, and also appeared on a talk show on the BBC network before her debut album, “19”, was released to the masses.
Adele would release her debut album “19” and it would end up on year end charts for multiple years from 2009 to 2011. In a time where gold and platinum records were a rarity these days, Adele would sell nearly six million copies of “19” worldwide as people identified with her songs about troubles in relationships and heartbreak. Adele would be recognized on the contemporary, pop, Hot 100, and jazz charts as her music was a huge crossover success. The single “Chasing Pavements” would receive four Grammy award nominations and she would also win an Urban Music Award for “Best Jazz Act”. Check out “Chasing Pavements” below.
Adele began taking the world by storm. She would perform with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker on the Lady Antebellum song “Need You Now”, and the performance would receive a CMA nomination for live performance. “Chasing Pavements” would win a Grammy for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” and Adele would receive the “Best New Artist Award” at the 2009 Grammys.
In 2012, Adele would release her second album entitled “21”. “21” became the number one selling album in the U.K. in the 21st Century, overtaking Amy Winehouse’s album “Back To Black”. Adele’s songs “Someone Like You” and “Rolling In The Deep” both became top 5 singles simultaneously in the U.K., becoming the first recording artist since The Beatles in 1964 to accomplish that feat. “Someone Like You”, “Rolling In The Deep”, and “Set Fire To The Rain” all hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2012 Grammy’s, Adele would win six Grammys for the “21” album, only Beyonce was able to accomplish that feat. This was done despite Adele having to cancel two tours due to damage in her vocal cords. As of 2016, the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Adele would also earn a Golden Globe award for the song “Skyfall”.
In 2015, Adele would release her third album entitled “25”. The album would sell over 20 million copies worldwide and would peak at No. 1 in many countries worldwide. Music critics have said that Adele is the artist that is causing the consumer to buy physical albums again instead of solely relying on the digital streaming formats. Adele would win five more Grammys at the 2017 Grammy awards for the album and for the song “Hello”, which would garner over two billion hits on YouTube. Adele went through this with the help of Ryan Kurstin, who is someone that Adele credits for helping her get through writer’s block. Adele would also recruit Bruno Mars for the duet “All I Ask”. The album’s first day sales were almost 1.5 million copies.
Rumors are floating about another Adele album entitled “29”.
Madness To Creation’s review:
Adele is undoubtedly the pop artist of the decade. I would place her above Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars for that award in my view. Her philanthropy is also something to behold as well. Her music is soulful and powerful, and it’s nice hearing someone on the radio that people don’t generally cringe at while listening. It’s plain to see why she’s had the success that she’s had. Her music captivates audiences and I can’t help but be really into her music. She gets an 8 out of 10 from me for her talent and her innate ability to crossover into multiple genres of music.
Fans can find her at the following locations:
