Adele
Pop, Soul • Tottenham, United Kingdom
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is a British singer-songwriter born on May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, London. Raised primarily by her mother after her father left when she was two, Adele began singing at age four and developed an early obsession with voices. She graduated from the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in 2006, where she studied alongside future stars Leona Lewis and Jessie J. After posting a demo on Myspace, she caught the attention of XL Recordings' Richard Russell and signed a record deal in September 2006 at just 17 years old.
Adele's debut album, 19 (2008), established her as a major talent, featuring the UK top-five singles "Chasing Pavements" and "Make You Feel My Love." The album earned her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and became one of the best-selling debut albums in UK history. However, her second album, 21 (2011), cemented her status as a global superstar. The album became the best-selling album of the 21st century, topped the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks, and featured her signature songs "Rolling in the Deep," "Someone Like You," and "Set Fire to the Rain." At the 2012 Grammy Awards, Adele won all six categories she was nominated for, including Album of the Year, becoming only the second female artist to achieve this feat.
Adele's musical style blends soul, jazz, and R&B with deeply personal songwriting centered on heartbreak and relationships. Her mezzo-soprano voice, spanning from B2 to C6, has been widely praised for its emotional depth and technical excellence. She famously taught herself to sing by studying artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, and Roberta Flack. Her third album, 25 (2015), broke multiple first-week sales records worldwide, while her fourth album, 30 (2021), continued her commercial dominance.
Beyond music, Adele has achieved unprecedented commercial success, becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists with over 120 million records sold worldwide. She has won 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award for "Skyfall," and a Golden Globe. Her Las Vegas residency "Weekends with Adele" (2022-2024) received widespread critical acclaim. In July 2024, Adele announced plans for an indefinite break from music following her residency.
Quotes
“It has quite monumental moments of my life that I've spent there, and I drove past it [in 2015] and I just literally burst into tears. I really missed it.”
“I'm like, 'I can't believe I did that.' It seems so ungrateful.... 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, I'll just cancel my stuff then.'”
“My last record was a break-up record, and if I had to label this one, I would call it a make-up record. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. 25 is about getting to know who I've become without realising.”
“I taught myself how to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald for acrobatics and scales, Etta James for passion and Roberta Flack for control.”
“they made me what I am today”
Career Timeline
Adele in Munich & Hiatus Announcement
Announced ten shows at custom-built 80,000-capacity venue in Munich with 3 million people queueing for presale tickets. In July 2024, announced indefinite break from music following residency completion.
Continued Residency & Record Extensions
Extended Las Vegas residency multiple times, adding 34 additional shows and later 32 more shows extending into June 2024. Won Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Easy on Me" at 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Las Vegas Residency Launch
Weekends with Adele Las Vegas residency premiered on November 18, 2022, initially scheduled for 32 concerts through March 2023. Received widespread critical acclaim for spectacular performances.
Album 30 & Las Vegas Residency
Released fourth studio album 30, which became best-selling album of 2021 worldwide. Announced Weekends with Adele Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace's Colosseum.
Grammy Awards Clean Sweep
Won all five Grammy nominations at 59th Annual Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 25. Total Grammy wins reached 15.
Glastonbury Headlining & Tour Success
Headlined Glastonbury Festival with 90-minute set in front of 150,000 people, describing it as "by far, the best moment of my life so far." Completed world tour with record-breaking shows in Australia and finale at Wembley Stadium.
Album 25 Record-Breaking Release
Released third studio album 25, which broke first-week sales records globally. In US, became first album to sell over 3 million copies in a week (3.38 million). Lead single "Hello" became fastest video to reach one billion YouTube views.
Skyfall & Academy Award
Released "Skyfall" theme song for James Bond film, winning Academy Award for Best Original Song and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
Album 21 Released & Chart Dominance
Released second studio album 21 on January 24, 2011. Album topped charts in 30 countries and became best-selling album of 21st century, breaking Amy Winehouse's previous record.
Vocal Surgery & Grammy Sweep
Underwent laser microsurgery in November 2011 to remove benign polyp from vocal cords. Won all six Grammy Awards nominated for at 2012 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for 21.
International Success
Won Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Album 19 sold 2.2 million copies worldwide by July 2009.
Debut Album & Grammy Recognition
Released debut album 19, which entered UK charts at number one. Won Grammy Award for Best New Artist and appeared on Saturday Night Live, which earned NBC its best ratings in 14 years with 17 million viewers.
BRIT School Graduation & Record Deal
Graduated from BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology and signed record deal with XL Recordings in September 2006 at age 17 after her Myspace demo gained attention.
