Adele (singer)
Encyclopedia
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter
. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards
Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC
poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. Since her debut album 19
, Adele has received much recognition both commercially and critically. The album debuted at number one, and has been certified 4x platinum in the UK. Her career in the US was boosted by a viewer record–breaking Saturday Night Live
episode in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards
, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Adele released her second album 21
on 24 January 2011 in the UK, and 22 February in the US. The album was well received critically and catapulted Adele to record breaking success, selling 208,000 copies in its first week in the UK and debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart
, a position it managed to hold for 16 weeks. In the United Kingdom, 21 has been certified 12 times platinum for shipment of 3.6 million units. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
in the US, selling 352,000 copies in its first week. The album has charted at number one in 17 countries, including several charts across Europe, Australia and the United States.
After being performed at the 2011 BRIT Awards
, the album track "Someone Like You
" reached number one in the United Kingdom, while the album also remained at number one. "Someone Like You" held the number one position for four consecutive weeks. The song has also spent 2 weeks at number one in New Zealand 5 weeks at number one in Australia and following her performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
it became Adele's second number one single on the Billboard Hot 100
in the US.
The Official Charts Company announced that Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles
in 1964. 21 has spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, the longest ever by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, surpassing Madonna
's nine weeks at number one in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection
. Those records adding the one of "first album in U.K. chart history to sell 3 million copies in one calendar year", permitted her to appear in the 2012 Guinness Book Of World Records
. In the US the album has spent a total of thirteen weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, the longest an album has held the top position since 1998. The album has also broken the record for the most UK digital downloads. As of May 2011 the singer was worth £6 million, tying her with Lily Allen
and Duffy
for 9th place on the list of the richest British and Irish music stars under age 30.
, London, England, to a single teenage mother on 5 May 1988. She began singing at age four and asserts that she became obsessed with voices. Adele has cited the Spice Girls
as a major influence in regard to her love and passion for music, stating that "they made me what I am today." Adele would also impersonate the Spice Girls at dinner parties as a young girl. To make her look like singer Gabrielle
, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which Adele said was embarrassing. At the age of 9, Adele and her mother, a furniture-maker and adult learning activities organiser, relocated to Brighton
.
At the age of 11, Adele and her mother moved to Brixton
, and then to neighbouring district West Norwood
, in South London. West Norwood is the subject for Adele's first record, "Hometown Glory
", written when she was 16. After moving to South London, she became interested in R&B
artists such as Aaliyah
, Destiny's Child
and Mary J. Blige
.
Adele claims that one of the most defining moments in her life was when she watched Pink
perform at Brixton Academy. "It was the Missundaztood record, so I was about 13 or 14. I had never heard, being in the room, someone sing like that live […] I remember sort of feeling like I was in a wind tunnel
, her voice just hitting me. It was incredible."
Adele graduated from The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology
in Croydon in May 2006, where she was a classmate of Leona Lewis
and Jessie J
. Adele credits the school with nurturing her talent. In school, she was more interested in going into A&R
, and hoped to launch other people's careers. Four months later, she published two songs on the fourth issue of the online arts publication PlatformsMagazine.com. She had recorded a three-song demo for a class project and gave it to a friend who posted it on Myspace where it became very successful and led to a phone call from music label XL Recordings. She doubted if the offer was real because the only record company she knew was Virgin Records
, and she took a friend with her to the meeting.
Nick Huggett at XL recommended Adele to manager Jonathan Dickins at September Management and in June 2006 Dickins became her official representative. September was managing Jamie T
at the time and this proved a major attraction for Adele who was a big fan of the British singer-songwriter. Huggett then signed Adele to XL in September 2006. Adele provided vocals for Jack Peñate
's song, "My Yvonne", from his debut album. Adele's breakthrough song, "Hometown Glory", was released in October 2007. Adele supported Will Young
at the 2007 MENCAP
Little Noise Sessions, a charity concert at London's Union Chapel
. In 2008 she was the headliner and performed a stripped down acoustic and was supported by Damien Rice
. She became the first recipient of the BRIT Awards
Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008.
Encyclopedia of Modern Music would name 19 an "essential" Blue Eyed Soul recording. She released her second single "Chasing Pavements
" on 14 January 2008, two weeks ahead of her debut album, 19. The song reached number two on the UK Chart, and stayed there for four weeks. Adele was nominated for a 2008 Mercury Prize
award for 19. She also won an Urban Music Award
for "Best Jazz Act". She also received a Q Awards
nomination in the category of Breakthrough Act and a Music of Black Origin nomination in the category of Best UK Female. In March 2008, Adele signed a deal with Columbia Records
and XL Recordings for her foray into the US. She embarked on a short North American tour in the same month. The An Evening with Adele
world tour began in May 2008 and ended in June 2009. She later cancelled the 2008 US tour dates to be with a former boyfriend. She said in Nylon
magazine in June 2009, "I was drinking far too much and that was kind of the basis of my relationship with this boy. I couldn't bear to be without him, so I was like, 'Well, OK, I'll just cancel my stuff then… I can't believe I did that… It seems so ungrateful". In November 2008 Adele moved to Notting Hill
after leaving her mother's house, a move that prompted her to give up drinking. 19 was released in the US in June, but by October 2008, it was apparent that Adele's attempt to break into America had failed. She would be the musical guest on the 18 October episode of Saturday Night Live. The episode was hotly anticipated because of an expected appearance by then US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
. The programme earned its best ratings in 14 years with 17 million viewers. Adele performed "Chasing Pavements" and "Cold Shoulder
", and the following day, 19 topped the iTunes charts and ranked at number five at Amazon.com while "Chasing Pavements" rose into the top 25. The album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200
as a result, a jump of 35 places over the previous week. The album was certified as gold in February 2009 by the Recording Industry Association of America
. By July 2009, the album had sold 2.2 million copies worldwide.
In July 2008, Adele paid £8,000 for a commissioned painting by Stella Vine
in a charity auction in aid of Keep a Child Alive
, a charity that helps African children and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Adele said she planned to ask Vine to paint a portrait of "my mum and me." At the 51st Grammy Awards
in 2009, Adele won awards in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She was also nominated in the categories of Record of the Year
and Song of the Year
. Adele was also nominated for three Brit Awards
in the categories of Best British Female, Best British Single and Best British Breakthrough Act. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
sent a thank-you letter to Adele that stated "with the troubles that the country's in financially, you're a light at the end of the tunnel." On 17 September 2009, Adele performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
, for the VH1
"Divas" event, a concert to raise money for the Save The Music Foundation charity. On 6 December, Adele opened with a 40-minute set at John Mayer
's 2nd Annual Holiday Charity Revue held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
In 2010, Adele received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
for "Hometown Glory
". In April her song "My Same
" entered the German Singles Chart after it had been performed by Lena Meyer-Landrut
in the talent show contest Unser Star für Oslo (Our Star for Oslo), in which the German entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
was determined. In late September, after being featured on The X Factor
, Adele's version of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" re-entered the UK singles chart at number 4. During the 2010 CMT Artists of the Year
special, Adele performed a widely publicized duet of Lady Antebellum
's "Need You Now" with Darius Rucker
. This performance would later be nominated for a CMT Music Award.
, on 24 January 2011 in the UK and 22 February in the U.S. The album's sound is described as classic and contemporary roots
and country music
. The change in sound from her first album was the result of her bus driver playing contemporary Nashville music when she was touring the American South. Adele told Spin Magazine "It was really exciting for me because I never grew up around [that music]." The title choice reflects the growth she has experienced in the last two years. 21 hit number 1 in 18 countries, including the United States. As of June 2011, Adele had sold 2.5 million copies and 992,000 digital copies of 21 in the United States, making it the best-selling album in both categories in the first half of 2011. The first single, "Rolling in the Deep
" reached number 1 in 8 countries including the Billboard Hot 100. The song has sold 5.567 million digital copies in the US by 24 November 2011, the most digital copies of a song ever sold in a single year in the US, and the best-selling song by a British artist in the digital era.
In the United Kingdom, where the album also hit the top spot, it sold 208,000 copies in its first week making it the biggest-selling January release in five years. In mid-February 2011, after a performance at the Brit Awards
, the album track "Someone Like You
" went straight to number 1 on the UK singles chart, while the album 21
also remained at number 1. According to the Official Charts Company, Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles
in 1964.
It is the first time that one act has held the top two places in the UK albums chart since The Corrs
in 1999. The album spent 11 consecutive weeks at number one, before being knocked off the top spot by Wasting Light
by the Foo Fighters
. Next week, though, she regained the number one spot and was holding in for five more weeks in a row. In July "Someone Like You" single set another record, having become the first song to sell over a million copies in the UK this decade. In September the album sold over 3 million units and Adele became the first artist in UK music history to hit 3 million sales of an album in one calendar year. "Someone Like You" became her second consecutive number-one single on the Hot 100 making Adele the first ever British female singer to spawn two consecutive number one singles from the same album. It also made Hot 100 history by achieving "the biggest jump to No. 1 in the chart's 53-year history that wasn't spurred by the release of a single." The song became the first strictly voice-and-piano ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100
.
To promote the album, Adele embarked upon Adele Live
tour, which sold out its North American leg. Her audience at a May 2011 concert at the Beacon Theater in New York was described as a "varied blend as they shuffle to the exits—some are tearstained, some are whistling" with "snatches of regretful conversation between women, missing one man, still resenting another".
In the August 2011 issue of Q
Adele revealed that she was already working on a new album and has written seven songs for it. She promised would be more intimate and stripped-down than her first two. "It won't be a big production. I want it to be quite acoustic and piano-led", the singer said. "I want to write it all, record it all, produce it all and master it on my own. I think it'll take a lot longer because I want to do it this way", she added.
In October 2011, Adele was forced to cancel two tours because of a vocal cord hemorrhage. She released a statement saying she needed an extended period of rest in order to avoid permanent damage to her voice. On 28 October, Adele released a further statement that she was undergoing surgery to "alleviate the current issues with her throat", adding; "I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever". The singer underwent laser microsurgery in US on the first week of November.
In November 2011, Adele became the first artist to sell more than one million copies of an album on the European iTunes store with her second album 21
. At the 2011 American Music Awards
on 20 November, Adele won three awards; Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for 21. On November 30, 2011, Adele received six Grammy Award
nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards
which take place on 12 February 2012. She was nominated in the categories; Album of the Year
and Best Pop Vocal Album
for 21, Record of the Year
, Song of the Year
and Best Short Form Music Video
for "Rolling In the Deep", and Best Pop Solo Performance
for "Someone Like You".
. Initially, critics suggested that her vocals were more developed and intriguing than her songwriting, a sentiment that Adele agreed with. Adele's first album is of the soul genre, with lyrics describing heartbreak and relationship. Her success occurred simultaneously with several other British female soul singers, with the British press dubbing her a new Amy Winehouse
. This was described as a third British Musical Invasion
of the US. However, Adele called the comparisons between her and other female soul singers lazy, noting "we're a gender, not a genre". By the beginning of 2009, listeners and critics started to describe Adele as unique. AllMusic wrote that "Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone." American singer Beyoncé Knowles
cited Adele as one of the influences for her fourth album, 4
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. Since her debut album 19
19 (Adele album)
19 received generally positive reviews from critics. The album holds a 68 out of 100 rating based on 19 critical reviews indicating "generally favourable reviews" from metacritic. The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize in the category of Best Album...
, Adele has received much recognition both commercially and critically. The album debuted at number one, and has been certified 4x platinum in the UK. Her career in the US was boosted by a viewer record–breaking Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
episode in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Adele released her second album 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
on 24 January 2011 in the UK, and 22 February in the US. The album was well received critically and catapulted Adele to record breaking success, selling 208,000 copies in its first week in the UK and debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, a position it managed to hold for 16 weeks. In the United Kingdom, 21 has been certified 12 times platinum for shipment of 3.6 million units. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US, selling 352,000 copies in its first week. The album has charted at number one in 17 countries, including several charts across Europe, Australia and the United States.
After being performed at the 2011 BRIT Awards
2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
, the album track "Someone Like You
Someone Like You (Adele song)
"Someone Like You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele. Written by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album 21, the song was inspired by a broken relationship of hers, and lyrically it speaks of Adele coming to terms with it...
" reached number one in the United Kingdom, while the album also remained at number one. "Someone Like You" held the number one position for four consecutive weeks. The song has also spent 2 weeks at number one in New Zealand 5 weeks at number one in Australia and following her performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
it became Adele's second number one single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the US.
The Official Charts Company announced that Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1964. 21 has spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, the longest ever by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, surpassing Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's nine weeks at number one in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 9, 1990 by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles from 1982 to 1990, as well as two new tracks "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"...
. Those records adding the one of "first album in U.K. chart history to sell 3 million copies in one calendar year", permitted her to appear in the 2012 Guinness Book Of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
. In the US the album has spent a total of thirteen weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, the longest an album has held the top position since 1998. The album has also broken the record for the most UK digital downloads. As of May 2011 the singer was worth £6 million, tying her with Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
and Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
for 9th place on the list of the richest British and Irish music stars under age 30.
Early life
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
, London, England, to a single teenage mother on 5 May 1988. She began singing at age four and asserts that she became obsessed with voices. Adele has cited the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
as a major influence in regard to her love and passion for music, stating that "they made me what I am today." Adele would also impersonate the Spice Girls at dinner parties as a young girl. To make her look like singer Gabrielle
Gabrielle (singer)
Louisa Gabrielle Bobb is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night...
, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which Adele said was embarrassing. At the age of 9, Adele and her mother, a furniture-maker and adult learning activities organiser, relocated to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
At the age of 11, Adele and her mother moved to Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, and then to neighbouring district West Norwood
West Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
, in South London. West Norwood is the subject for Adele's first record, "Hometown Glory
Hometown Glory
"Hometown Glory" is the first single from Adele's debut album 19, released on 22 October 2007 in the United Kingdom. In 2008, the song was re-released as her fourth single...
", written when she was 16. After moving to South London, she became interested in R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
artists such as Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
and Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
.
Adele claims that one of the most defining moments in her life was when she watched Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
perform at Brixton Academy. "It was the Missundaztood record, so I was about 13 or 14. I had never heard, being in the room, someone sing like that live […] I remember sort of feeling like I was in a wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
, her voice just hitting me. It was incredible."
2006–08: Career beginnings
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
in Croydon in May 2006, where she was a classmate of Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
and Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
. Adele credits the school with nurturing her talent. In school, she was more interested in going into A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
, and hoped to launch other people's careers. Four months later, she published two songs on the fourth issue of the online arts publication PlatformsMagazine.com. She had recorded a three-song demo for a class project and gave it to a friend who posted it on Myspace where it became very successful and led to a phone call from music label XL Recordings. She doubted if the offer was real because the only record company she knew was Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, and she took a friend with her to the meeting.
Nick Huggett at XL recommended Adele to manager Jonathan Dickins at September Management and in June 2006 Dickins became her official representative. September was managing Jamie T
Jamie T
Jamie Alexander Treays , known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer/songwriter from Wimbledon, South London.-Early life:Jamie Alexander Treays, was born in Wimbledon, South-West London...
at the time and this proved a major attraction for Adele who was a big fan of the British singer-songwriter. Huggett then signed Adele to XL in September 2006. Adele provided vocals for Jack Peñate
Jack Peñate
Jack Fabian Peñate is an English musician and singer-songwriter signed to XL Recordings.-Early life:Jack Peñate attended St. Olave's Preparatory School, New Eltham until he left to attend Alleyn's School when he was 18 years of age...
's song, "My Yvonne", from his debut album. Adele's breakthrough song, "Hometown Glory", was released in October 2007. Adele supported Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
at the 2007 MENCAP
Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
Little Noise Sessions, a charity concert at London's Union Chapel
Union Chapel, Islington
The Union Chapel is a Grade II* listed church and music venue in Islington, North London, England, located on Compton Terrace.An example of Victorian gothic architecture, it was designed by James Cubitt, and constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions 1877-90, providing an ambitious...
. In 2008 she was the headliner and performed a stripped down acoustic and was supported by Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
. She became the first recipient of the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008.
2008–10: 19 and commercial success
19, named for her age at the time she started recording it, entered the British charts at number one. The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Encyclopedia of Modern Music would name 19 an "essential" Blue Eyed Soul recording. She released her second single "Chasing Pavements
Chasing Pavements
"Chasing Pavements" is the second single from soul singer Adele. Adele performed the song on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 7 December 2007....
" on 14 January 2008, two weeks ahead of her debut album, 19. The song reached number two on the UK Chart, and stayed there for four weeks. Adele was nominated for a 2008 Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
award for 19. She also won an Urban Music Award
Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...
for "Best Jazz Act". She also received a Q Awards
Q Awards
The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event...
nomination in the category of Breakthrough Act and a Music of Black Origin nomination in the category of Best UK Female. In March 2008, Adele signed a deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and XL Recordings for her foray into the US. She embarked on a short North American tour in the same month. The An Evening with Adele
An Evening with Adele
An Evening with Adele is the first concert tour by the British singer-songwriter Adele, in support of her debut album, 19. The tour was unusual in that it included very few dates in the United Kingdom, Adele's home and the territory where 19 was most successful...
world tour began in May 2008 and ended in June 2009. She later cancelled the 2008 US tour dates to be with a former boyfriend. She said in Nylon
Nylon (magazine)
Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel...
magazine in June 2009, "I was drinking far too much and that was kind of the basis of my relationship with this boy. I couldn't bear to be without him, so I was like, 'Well, OK, I'll just cancel my stuff then… I can't believe I did that… It seems so ungrateful". In November 2008 Adele moved to Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
after leaving her mother's house, a move that prompted her to give up drinking. 19 was released in the US in June, but by October 2008, it was apparent that Adele's attempt to break into America had failed. She would be the musical guest on the 18 October episode of Saturday Night Live. The episode was hotly anticipated because of an expected appearance by then US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. The programme earned its best ratings in 14 years with 17 million viewers. Adele performed "Chasing Pavements" and "Cold Shoulder
Cold Shoulder (song)
"Cold Shoulder" is the third single from soul singer Adele released from her debut album 19. It was released digitally in Ireland on 30 March 2008 and in the UK on 31 March 2008. This is the only song on the album to be produced by Mark Ronson. Ex-Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender plays on the song...
", and the following day, 19 topped the iTunes charts and ranked at number five at Amazon.com while "Chasing Pavements" rose into the top 25. The album reached number 11 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
as a result, a jump of 35 places over the previous week. The album was certified as gold in February 2009 by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. By July 2009, the album had sold 2.2 million copies worldwide.
In July 2008, Adele paid £8,000 for a commissioned painting by Stella Vine
Stella Vine
Stella Vine is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting with subject matter drawn from either her personal life of family, friends and school, or rock stars, royalty and celebrities.After a difficult relationship with her stepfather, she left home and in...
in a charity auction in aid of Keep a Child Alive
Keep A Child Alive
Keep a Child Alive provides first class AIDS care, treatment, surrounding support and food for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.-Background:...
, a charity that helps African children and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Adele said she planned to ask Vine to paint a portrait of "my mum and me." At the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
in 2009, Adele won awards in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She was also nominated in the categories of Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
and Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
. Adele was also nominated for three Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in the categories of Best British Female, Best British Single and Best British Breakthrough Act. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
sent a thank-you letter to Adele that stated "with the troubles that the country's in financially, you're a light at the end of the tunnel." On 17 September 2009, Adele performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
, for the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
"Divas" event, a concert to raise money for the Save The Music Foundation charity. On 6 December, Adele opened with a 40-minute set at John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
's 2nd Annual Holiday Charity Revue held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
In 2010, Adele received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
for "Hometown Glory
Hometown Glory
"Hometown Glory" is the first single from Adele's debut album 19, released on 22 October 2007 in the United Kingdom. In 2008, the song was re-released as her fourth single...
". In April her song "My Same
My Same
"My Same" is a song by British soul singer Adele released on her debut album 19 and written and produced by Adele. It charted in Germany after German Lena Meyer-Landrut had performed it on the talent show contest Unser Star für Oslo , in which the German entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2010...
" entered the German Singles Chart after it had been performed by Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut , known professionally as Lena, is a German singer-songwriter. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway, and won the contest with the song "Satellite"...
in the talent show contest Unser Star für Oslo (Our Star for Oslo), in which the German entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
was determined. In late September, after being featured on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, Adele's version of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" re-entered the UK singles chart at number 4. During the 2010 CMT Artists of the Year
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
special, Adele performed a widely publicized duet of Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
's "Need You Now" with Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker is an American musician. He first gained fame as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld and Dean Felber...
. This performance would later be nominated for a CMT Music Award.
2010 on: 21 and breaking records
Adele released her second studio album, 2121 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
, on 24 January 2011 in the UK and 22 February in the U.S. The album's sound is described as classic and contemporary roots
Roots music
Roots music can refer to several styles or trends in music:* Americana * Folk music* Roots of hip hop, the conditions which led to creation of the hip hop genre* Roots reggae...
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The change in sound from her first album was the result of her bus driver playing contemporary Nashville music when she was touring the American South. Adele told Spin Magazine "It was really exciting for me because I never grew up around [that music]." The title choice reflects the growth she has experienced in the last two years. 21 hit number 1 in 18 countries, including the United States. As of June 2011, Adele had sold 2.5 million copies and 992,000 digital copies of 21 in the United States, making it the best-selling album in both categories in the first half of 2011. The first single, "Rolling in the Deep
Rolling in the Deep
"Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, 21. The song was written by Paul Epworth and Adele, who described it as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune". It was first released on 29 November 2010 as the lead single of the album.The song has...
" reached number 1 in 8 countries including the Billboard Hot 100. The song has sold 5.567 million digital copies in the US by 24 November 2011, the most digital copies of a song ever sold in a single year in the US, and the best-selling song by a British artist in the digital era.
In the United Kingdom, where the album also hit the top spot, it sold 208,000 copies in its first week making it the biggest-selling January release in five years. In mid-February 2011, after a performance at the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, the album track "Someone Like You
Someone Like You (Adele song)
"Someone Like You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele. Written by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album 21, the song was inspired by a broken relationship of hers, and lyrically it speaks of Adele coming to terms with it...
" went straight to number 1 on the UK singles chart, while the album 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
also remained at number 1. According to the Official Charts Company, Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1964.
It is the first time that one act has held the top two places in the UK albums chart since The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
in 1999. The album spent 11 consecutive weeks at number one, before being knocked off the top spot by Wasting Light
Wasting Light
Wasting Light is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Foo Fighters, released April 12, 2011, on RCA Records. It was produced by Butch Vig and described by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Grohl as their "heaviest album yet." The title is taken from the lyrics of the...
by the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
. Next week, though, she regained the number one spot and was holding in for five more weeks in a row. In July "Someone Like You" single set another record, having become the first song to sell over a million copies in the UK this decade. In September the album sold over 3 million units and Adele became the first artist in UK music history to hit 3 million sales of an album in one calendar year. "Someone Like You" became her second consecutive number-one single on the Hot 100 making Adele the first ever British female singer to spawn two consecutive number one singles from the same album. It also made Hot 100 history by achieving "the biggest jump to No. 1 in the chart's 53-year history that wasn't spurred by the release of a single." The song became the first strictly voice-and-piano ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
To promote the album, Adele embarked upon Adele Live
Adele Live
Adele Live is the second concert tour by English recording artist Adele. Visiting Europe and North America, the tour supports her second studio album, 21. Adele is backed by a five-piece band and backing singers, whilst for some songs she is accompanied by piano only. The stage design features...
tour, which sold out its North American leg. Her audience at a May 2011 concert at the Beacon Theater in New York was described as a "varied blend as they shuffle to the exits—some are tearstained, some are whistling" with "snatches of regretful conversation between women, missing one man, still resenting another".
In the August 2011 issue of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
Adele revealed that she was already working on a new album and has written seven songs for it. She promised would be more intimate and stripped-down than her first two. "It won't be a big production. I want it to be quite acoustic and piano-led", the singer said. "I want to write it all, record it all, produce it all and master it on my own. I think it'll take a lot longer because I want to do it this way", she added.
In October 2011, Adele was forced to cancel two tours because of a vocal cord hemorrhage. She released a statement saying she needed an extended period of rest in order to avoid permanent damage to her voice. On 28 October, Adele released a further statement that she was undergoing surgery to "alleviate the current issues with her throat", adding; "I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever". The singer underwent laser microsurgery in US on the first week of November.
In November 2011, Adele became the first artist to sell more than one million copies of an album on the European iTunes store with her second album 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
. At the 2011 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2011
The 39th American Music Awards was held on November 20, 2011 , at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles . The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from the year 2011. Nominees were announced on October 11, 2011. The awards ceremony was host-free...
on 20 November, Adele won three awards; Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Pop/Rock Album for 21. On November 30, 2011, Adele received six Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards
54th Grammy Awards
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a...
which take place on 12 February 2012. She was nominated in the categories; Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
and Best Pop Vocal Album
Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop music albums...
for 21, Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
, Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
for "Rolling In the Deep", and Best Pop Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is a new category in the annual Grammy Awards ceremony from 2012.It combines the previous categories for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Instrumental Performance....
for "Someone Like You".
Artistry and influence
Adele's voice is categorized as contraltoContralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
. Initially, critics suggested that her vocals were more developed and intriguing than her songwriting, a sentiment that Adele agreed with. Adele's first album is of the soul genre, with lyrics describing heartbreak and relationship. Her success occurred simultaneously with several other British female soul singers, with the British press dubbing her a new Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
. This was described as a third British Musical Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
of the US. However, Adele called the comparisons between her and other female soul singers lazy, noting "we're a gender, not a genre". By the beginning of 2009, listeners and critics started to describe Adele as unique. AllMusic wrote that "Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone." American singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
cited Adele as one of the influences for her fourth album, 4
4 (Beyoncé Knowles album)
4 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released through Columbia Records on June 24, 2011. Three weeks before its scheduled release, 4 leaked in full. The twelve-song set marks the first release by Knowles since separating professionally with father and manager,...
.
Discography
- 1919 (Adele album)19 received generally positive reviews from critics. The album holds a 68 out of 100 rating based on 19 critical reviews indicating "generally favourable reviews" from metacritic. The album was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize in the category of Best Album...
(2008) - 2121 (Adele album)21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
(2011)