Adele – Someone Like You

With her powerful vocals and all-too-relatable melodies, English singer Adele has become a worldwide hit during the 2010s, smashing records and winning awards. She weaves vintage soul, introspective songwriting, and pop gloss together. Adele’s 2011 sophomore album, 21, marked the beginning of her unparalleled sales and popularity, setting her apart from her American or British counterparts. At a time when many performers were struggling to break a million albums, Adele sold tens of millions. The secret to Adele’s success was her deft, understated execution, which was initially heard on her 2008 debut album, 19 (called for her age at the time of its development, like her following albums), and its U.K. Top Ten song, “Chasing Pavements.” But 21—which included the hits “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Set Fire to the Rain”—was what really made her a generational performer. She broke records once again in 2015 with her third attempt, 25. With the help of the worldwide hit song “Hello,” the album became the best-selling record worldwide in 2015. It also won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. The album peaked at number one in the United States for ten weeks in a row. Following a prolonged hiatus, she made a comeback in 2021 with her fourth album, the appropriately named 30, which once more proved to be a worldwide chart-topper and earned her a Brit Award and a Grammy. This opened the door for her first Las Vegas residency.

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, who was born in London in 1988, gained attention in 2006 after signing a record deal with XL Recordings thanks to her demo. She began her touring career opening for Jack Penate. By the end of 2007, she had become a headlining artist thanks to her track “Daydreamer” being played on BBC Radio 1. Another song, “Hometown Glory,” was also made available as a single on Jamie T.’s label Pacemaker. The next step was an appearance with Paul McCartney and Björk on the BBC 2 television program Later with Jools Holland; shortly after, a recording contract with XL Recordings was signed. Similar good fortune struck Adele in early 2008 when she topped the BBC’s new music talent list, which was created using the votes of 150 music critics. “Chasing Pavements,” XL’s new single, was released in January of that year, along with her debut album, 19. Adele’s age at the time of the record’s release was referenced in the title, and the song’s success led to the production of other additional editions throughout the year. She took home the Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Awards in 2009.

In February 2011, her sophomore album 21, which included the disco and gospel-tinged single “Rolling in the Deep,” was released. The album turned out to be a critical and commercial hit, going on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time and holding the number one position for more than eighteen weeks. The triumph of 21 was considerably muted when Adele had to postpone her tour due to a vocal chord hemorrhage, for which she underwent surgery in November 2011. She released the concert CD/DVD Live at the Royal Albert Hall in the same month. Adele and 21 shared numerous year-end accolades, and in February 2012, as album sales started to approach 10 million copies, Adele became one of the few artists in history to win six major Grammy Awards in a single evening.

Falling Sky
Adele revealed in October 2012 that she had composed the theme for the 23rd James Bond movie, Skyfall. Produced by Paul Epworth and recorded at the esteemed Abbey Road Studios, the song debuted in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. singles chart. Early in 2013, 21 recorded sales of more than 25 million copies. Despite her declaration that she was in the early phases of recording her third album, 2013 and 2014 passed without any new music.

Nothing Boundaries
suspicions of an impending third album began to circulate in the middle of 2015, and Adele and her label officially verified the suspicions in October. “Hello,” the song’s first single, became the first to sell over a million downloads in its first week of release, debuting at number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. When 25 made its global premiere in late November 2015, it beat *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached’s record for the most sales in a single week in the United States. 25 went on to dominate the Billboard 200 for 10 weeks and won three Grammy Awards in 2017: Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Album, and Song of the Year.

After being largely quiet for a few years, Adele made a comeback in October 2020 to host a Saturday Night Live episode. A year later, she released the lead track, “Easy on Me,” off her fourth album, which was released on November 30, 2021. Known performers Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, Shellback, and Tobias Jesso, Jr. contributed to the production. Ludwig Goransson and Sault’s Inflo (Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz) were also invited for a sophisticated and elegant set that centered on themes of fatherhood and separation. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance for “Easy on Me” and the Brit Award for British Album of the Year. It also topped many international charts, including those in the U.K. and the Billboard 200. The artist also began her live Las Vegas residency, Weekends with Adele, in November 2022, albeit it was postponed owing to COVID-19. The event was place at Caesars Palace’s The Colosseum.