One of the most highly-anticipated albums in recent memory was released by singer Adele last week and it sold more than 3 million copies in just the first three days, breaking multiple records in the process, including one previously held by *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached album which sold 2.41 million copies in its first week of release back in 2000. (Incidentally, all of this happened despite technical problems with iTunes’ U.K.
Who is Adele?
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is an English singer and songwriter born on 5 May 1988 in Tottenham, London, England. She started her career as an indie artist, but her first album 19 became the best-selling album of 2011 in both the UK and US. Her second album 21 has also been hugely successful with more than 26 million copies sold worldwide. Her third studio album 25 was released on 20 November 2015 and debuted at number one in 29 countries, including the UK and US.
Her journey so far
Adele is one of the best singers in the world today, and she’s only 30 years old. She was born to an Italian mother and Welsh father in London, and raised by her mother after he left when she was two. Adele grew up with music all around her, with her mum playing records by Carole King, James Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald all day long. By the time she was 10 years old, Adle would spend hours singing along to those albums without realizing it. I started singing before I could even talk, she said later on.
She became an instant star
Adele first appeared on the music scene as a teenager with her 2007 debut album, 19. She was immediately hailed for her powerhouse vocals, full of passion and soul. Her second studio album, 21, became the world’s best-selling album of 2011. That same year she won eight Grammys, including Album of the Year for 21.
She wrote songs for other singers like Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera before releasing 25, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in November 2015. Adle is known for her moving songwriting that often touches on themes of unrequited love and heartbreak. Rolling Stone named her Artist of the Year in 2012 after she had sold over 20 million albums by then.
She received rave reviews from critics, who compared her to artists such as Dusty Springfield, Amy Winehouse and Bonnie Raitt.
Despite the nearly three-year hiatus that followed, Adele was able to bring herself back into the limelight and return to her spot as one of music’s most successful singers. She has won six Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, British Academy Film Award, MTV Video Music Award, American Music Award and New Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. Adele is ranked as one of the best vocalists in popular music and is often cited as an icon by other artists.
She was awarded eight Grammy Awards and seven Brit Awards, breaking first-week sales records in both cases.
In October 2008, Adele released her first album, 19. It reached number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the US and became the best selling album of 2008 in the UK. In 2009, she released her second album, 21. This became an even greater commercial success than her first album as it topped charts around the world and sold over 30 million copies worldwide (as of December 2012).
In 2012 Adele was awarded three Grammy Awards for Best Pop Solo Performance, Record of the Year and Song of the Year with Rolling In The Deep. She also received four Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist, British Album of the Year, British Single of the Year and British Live Act.
Her vocal ability, songwriting prowess and emotive live performances have drawn praise from established industry experts.
With her powerhouse vocal ability, songwriting prowess and emotive live performances, Adele has drawn praise from established industry experts and won over the hearts of millions of listeners worldwide with hits such as Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You and Hello.