Adele
Comments58this wiki
| This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |
| Adele | |
 | |
| Birth Name | Adele Laurie Blue Adkins |
| Born | May 5, 1988 (age 24) |
| Occupations | Singer-Songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass, Celeste, Percussion, Keyboard |
| Albums | 19 (2008) 21 (2011) |
| “ | I don't make music for eyes... I make it for ears. | ” |
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), known mononymously as Adele (sometimes stylized as ADELE), is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award 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 January 24, 2011 in the UK, and on February 22 in the US. The album was a critical and commercial 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 sixteen weeks. In the United Kingdom, 21 has been certified ten times Platinum for shipment of 3.0 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 and 5 weeks at number one in Australia. The Official Charts Company announced that 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. 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. In the US the album has spent a total of twelve weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 to date, the most weeks at number one since 2000. 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.
Besides "Someone Like You", Adele also had success from the releases of her other singles, especially "Hometown Glory", "Chasing Pavements", "Set Fire to the Rain", and "Rolling in the Deep", which has surpassed Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to become the top-selling digital song by a female recording artist of all time. As of today, "Rolling in the Deep" is her most popular and most successful song.
On October 5, 2012, Adele released the theme for the twenty-third James Bond film of the same name, "Skyfall". Exactly two weeks later, she gave birth to her first son.
Contents |
Early Life
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in Tottenham, London, England, to a Penny Adkins and Mark Evans on 5 May
Added by Tsu'tey te Rongloa AteyitanAdele 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 11, Adele and her mother, a furniture-maker and adult learning activities organiser moved to West Norwood, 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 had been the one 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.”
Career
2006-08: Career beginnings
Adele graduated from The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon in May 2006, where she was classmates with 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 (which featured three of the tracks from 19 - "Hometown Glory", "Daydreamer", and "My Same") 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 (her current guitarist, Ben Thomas) 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 English singer-songwriter. Huggett then signed Adele to XL in September 2006. In 2007, Adele provided vocals for Jack Peñate's song, "My Yvonne", from his debut album (which was obviously released prior to the release of her 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.
2008-10: 19 and commercial success
19, Adele's debut album, was released on January 28, 2008, and entered the British charts at number one. The Times 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 (SNL). 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 February 2013, the album had sold around 6 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 cat
Added by Tsu'tey te Rongloa AteyitanIn 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.
2010-present: 21 and breaking records
Adele released her second studio album, 21, 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 February 2013, Adele had sold 25 million copies worlwide and 2.2 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 4.825 million digital copies in the US by 21 August 2011, the most digital copies of a song ever sold in a single year in the US. It now currently sits at 7.7 million copies sold in the US, which makes it the second most sold digital song ever. Worldwide, it is currently at 12 million copies sold as of February 2013.
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
Added by Tsu'tey te Rongloa AteyitanTo promote the album, Adele embarked upon her Adele Live tour. The tour has become a profound success with the entire North American leg sold out. 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". Unfortunately, the tour ended up being cancelled due to a vocal hemorrhage Adele experienced; she did not reschedule the tour dates because there were too many to make up.
In the August 2011 issue of Q Adele revealed that she has written seven songs for her next album, which 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. On June 29, 2012, she revealed she was pregnant with her first child. It was also revealed in late September of the same year that she was recording the theme song for the new James Bond film. The song was titled "Skyfall" and was released on October 5, 2012. Exactly two weeks later, her first son was born.
In the meantime, "Skyfall" had proven to be extremely successful and earned her a Golden Globe and an Oscar. Following her comeback performance and her big win at the Oscars, Adele confirmed that her third album is in very early stages of production. She is rumored to be working with Paul Epworth again, following their success with 21 and "Skyfall". She is looking for new inspiration right now and hopes to have the album out by the end of 2013 or early 2014.
Artistry
Adele's voice is described as a sultry contralto. 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. Lady Gaga, P!nk, Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Madonna, Slash (former guitarist of Guns 'N Roses), J.J. Burnel of The Stranglers, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Bonnie Raitt, Nicki Minaj, Usher, and Danny O'Donoghue of The Script, among numerous others, have all stated that they are big fans of Adele. Many of them have also stated how much she inspires them, how close of a friend she is to them, or even the fact that they would love to collaborate with her.
Personal Life
Family
Adele has a very close relationship with her mother, Penny. She was rumored had attempted to rekindle her relationship with her father, Mark, but after failing when he sold stories about her to the press, she said if she ever saw him again, she would spit in his face. Adele also has one half-brother, named Cameron. She is also very close with her grandmother. Adele has also confirmed she is a dog lover and owns a dog named Louie. She plans to get another dog sometime in 2012 and name it Ella. Adele's best friend is Laura Dockrill, a writer who also graduated from the BRIT School. She inspired the song "My Same".
Despite the horrible relationship Adele had with her father, she was extremely close to his father, John Evans, who she treated like "a Jesus-figure" before his passing. His wife was Rose Evans; Adele was close with her, as well.
Relationships
Added by Tsu'tey te Rongloa AteyitanOn 29 June 2012, Adele annouced that she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Simon Konecki. On October 20, 2012, it was announced by an anonymous source who claimed to be a very close friend of Adele and Simon that Adele had supposedly given birth to the child the week before. Adele's spokesperson refused to comment on whether this was true or not. It was recently confirmed by family members that the baby had been born, and supposedly people have found Adele out and about with Simon and the baby boy, whose name had yet to be specified. In January, only a few days after Adele refused to reveal the child's name, it was confirmed to be named Angelo James Konecki.
Trivia
- Adele has so far named both of her albums after her age, 19 and 21, respectively.
- Adele is a liberal. She appeared on the same episode of Saturday Night Live as Sarah Palin, and met the conservative sweetheart, “but I didn’t want to,” said Adele, “I was avoiding it…I had a big Obama pin on." The huge audience Palin attracted was good for the singer – her album 19 flew to the top of iTunes charts the next day.
- Despite her many performances, Adele still admits to stage fright. She’s been known to throw up prior to performing (once on someone), and suffers from panic attacks.
- “I don’t like going to the gym,” Adele has said. “I like eating fine foods and drinking nice wine.”
- She hasn’t always made wise choices on relationships. In 2008, she cancelled US tour dates to be with a boyfriend. “I was drinking far too much and that was … the basis of my relationship with this boy,” the singer has said.
- The multiple Grammy winner broke up with that boy, and the experience inspired much of her album 21. “He made me an adult, and put me on the road I am traveling now,” Adele explained.
- Adele was born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins in 1988, to a single mother who was 18. Adele’s dad left when the future singer was two. He became an alcoholic, and today Adele wants nothing to do with him.
- She began singing at age four, and credits the Spice Girls for inspiring her to sing as a career.
- Adele wrote her debut song, “Hometown Glory,” at age 16. It was released in October 2007.
- The singer is a fan of Sands charity, which supports those affected by the loss of a baby. She has encouraged those receiving free tickets to her concerts to contribute $20 to the charity.
- Adele's first concert she watched was The Cure when she was three.
- She holds a Guinness World Record for staying at No. 1 in UK charts for the most weeks.
- 21 is UK’s most sold Album so far with over 3 million copies sold in an year. The album which was released in January 2011, had multiple hit singles, and it is still currently in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and has remained in the Top 10 until the week of August 29th, 2012 (it re-entered the Top 10 the following week). Four songs from the same album ("Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You", "Set Fire to the Rain", and "Rumour Has It") were also featured in Top 20, and three of them ("Rolling in the Deep, "Someone Like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain") all peaked at #1.
- She is the only female singer who sold the highest number of sales in an album (21).
- Adele has won a record breaking 8 Grammy Awards so far out of 11 nominations. (6 awards were won at the 2012 Grammys)
- Adele held 3 Guinness World Records for having two of her songs from her albums, 19 and 21, to stay in UK Top 5.
- Adele remarked, "If I ever see [my dad who left me when I was young], I would spit in his face."
- Adele has an alter ego named Sasha Carter.
External links
Twitter page
Facebook page
YouTube channel
Adele at 
| There is an image gallery for |
| Adele | ||
|---|---|---|
| Albums | First Demo · 19 · iTunes Live from SoHo · 21 · iTunes Festival: London 2011 · Live at the Royal Albert Hall · Third Album | |
| Singles | "Hometown Glory" · "Chasing Pavements" · "Cold Shoulder" · "Many Shades of Black" · "Make You Feel My Love" · "Water and a Flame" · "Rolling in the Deep" · "Someone Like You" · "Set Fire to the Rain" · "Rumour Has It" · "Turning Tables" · "Skyfall" | |
| Music Videos | "Hometown Glory" · "Chasing Pavements" · "Cold Shoulder" · "Make You Feel My Love" · "Melt My Heart to Stone" · "Rolling in the Deep" · "Someone Like You" · "Set Fire to the Rain" · "Turning Tables" | |
| Other songs | "My Same" · "My Yvonne" · "Every Glance" · "Lovesong" · "I'll Be Waiting" · More... | |
| Tours | An Evening with Adele · Adele Live (cancelled — vocal hemorrhage) | |
| Family | Penny Adkins · Mark Evans · Cameron Evans · John Evans · Rose Evans · John Adkins · Doreen Adkins · Anita Adkins · Louie · Simon Konecki · Angelo James Konecki | |
Start a Discussion Discussions about Adele
-
P!nk and Adele...
27 messages-
Ups sorry the news where old :p the "single" was supposed to be released on April 4. What song she released? I didn't hear a thing about her t... -
Yeah, it was a snippet of her new song "Grown Woman", and they only thought it would be released because of its inclusion in her Pepsi commercial.
-
-
Welcome!
5 messages-
No problem :) -
:)
-
.jpg)
.jpg)
