Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is an English singer-songwriter. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008. It is certified 8× platinum in the UK and triple platinum in the US. The album contains her first song, “Hometown Glory”, written when she was 16, which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London. An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Adele released her second studio album, 21, in 2011. The album was critically well-received and surpassed the success of her debut, earning numerous awards in 2012, among them a record-tying six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year; the Brit Award for British Album of the Year; and the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album. The album has been certified 17× platinum in the UK, and is overall the fourth best-selling album in the nation.
The world’s best-selling album of 2011 and 2012, 21 has sold over 31 million copies, making it the best-selling album of the 21st century. The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of Records. She was the first female in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top-ten singles as a lead artist, with “Rolling in the Deep”, “Someone Like You”, and “Set Fire to the Rain”, all of which also topped the chart.
In 2012, Adele released “Skyfall”, which she co-wrote and recorded for the James Bond film of the same name. The song won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and the Brit Award for British Single of the Year. After taking a three-year break, Adele released her third studio album, 25, in 2015. It became the year’s best-selling album and broke first-week sales records in the UK and US.
25 was her second album to be certified Diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and four Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year. With sales of over 120 million records, Adele is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. Her accolades include fifteen Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards. Her third tour, saw her break attendance records globally, including in the UK, Australia, and the US.
Some of the best quotes from Adele are listed below.
- “Americans are always mortified when I tell them this, but in England, it’s a tradition to put your plaques and photographs and awards and gold records and stuff in your bathroom. I don’t know why.” – Adele
- “Crying is really bad for your vocal cords.” – Adele
- “Even if I did have, you know, a ‘Sports Illustrated’ body, I’d still wear elegant clothes.” – Adele
- “Heartbreak can definitely give you a deeper sensibility for writing songs. I drew on a lot of heartbreak when I was writing my first album, I didn’t mean to but I just did.” – Adele
- “I am never writing a breakup record again, by the way. I’m done with being a bitter witch.” – Adele
- “I am quite loud and bolshie. I’m a big personality. I walk into a room, big and tall and loud.” – Adele
- “I am quite loud and bolshie.” – Adele
- “I can’t believe I did a peace sign on TV – like Ringo Starr!” – Adele
- “I can’t dance to save my life.” – Adele
- “I can’t write another breakup record. That would be a real cliche.” – Adele
- “I don’t date celebrities.” – Adele
- “I don’t like going to the gym.” – Adele
- “I don’t make music for eyes. I make music for ears.” – Adele
- “I don’t make music for the eyes, I make music for the ears.” – Adele
- “I don’t really need to stand out, there’s room for everyone. Although I haven’t built a niche yet, I’m just writing love songs.” – Adele
- “I don’t rely on my figure to sell records.” – Adele
- “I don’t want people confusing what it is that I’m about. I just stand there and sing. And I don’t do stunts or anything. if I wanted to do all that, I don’t think I’d get away with it.” – Adele
- “I don’t want to be a celebrity. I don’t want to be in people’s faces, you know, constantly on covers of magazine that I haven’t even known I’m on.” – Adele
- “I don’t write songs about a specific, elusive thing. I write about love, and everyone knows what it is like to have your heart broken.” – Adele
- “I don’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like.” – Adele
- “I doubt I’ll be singing forever, because at some point people aren’t going to want to hear my music, and I hope that I’ll still get the opportunity to write songs.” – Adele
- “I find it quite difficult to think that there’s, you know, about 20 million people listening to my album that I wrote very selfishly to get over a breakup. I didn’t write it being that it’s going to be a hit.” – Adele
- “I get so nervous on stage I can’t help but talk. I try. I try telling my brain: stop sending words to the mouth. But I get nervous and turn into my grandma. Behind the eyes it’s pure fear. I find it difficult to believe I’m going to be able to deliver.” – Adele
- “I have insecurities of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out to me.” – Adele
- “I have never been insecure, ever, about how I look, about what I want to do with myself. My mum told me to only ever do things for myself, not for others.” – Adele
- “I just want to make music, I don’t want people to talk about me. All I’ve ever wanted to do was sing. I don’t want to be a celebrity. I don’t want to be in people’s faces, you know, constantly on covers of magazine that I haven’t even known I’m on.” – Adele
- “I know you haven’t made your mind up yet, But I will never do you wrong. I’ve known it from the moment that we met, No doubt in my mind where you belong.” – Adele
- “I like having my hair and face done, but I’m not going to lose weight because someone tells me to. I make music to be a musician not to be on the cover of Playboy.” – Adele
- “I like looking nice, but I always put comfort over fashion. I don’t find thin girls attractive; be happy and healthy. I’ve never had a problem with the way I look. I’d rather have lunch with my friends than go to a gym.” – Adele
- “I love a bit of drama. That’s a bad thing. I can flip really quickly.” – Adele
- “I love a card. You know, cards? At birthdays? I collect them.” – Adele
- “I love love songs. But I love pop music as well: Girls Aloud, Kylie, the Spice Girls, East 17, Mika.” – Adele
- “I no longer buy papers or tabloids or magazines or read blogs. I used to. But it was just filling up my day with hatred.” – Adele
- “I think it’s shameful when you sell out. It depends what kind of artist you wanna be, but I don’t want my name anywhere near another brand.” – Adele
- “I want to go and see things as a fan again. I am a fan, but I can’t remember what it feels like to be a fan anymore. Because I’ve become an artist. I’ve become the artist.” – Adele
- “I wanted to be a singer forever. But it’s not really my cup of tea. Having the whole world know who you are.” – Adele
- “I was about to meet Beyonce, and I had a full-blown anxiety attack. Then she popped in looking gorgeous, and said, ‘You’re amazing! When I listen to you I feel like I’m listening to God.” – Adele
- “I was adopting an Ethiopian child, that’s not true. My house was haunted, that wasn’t true. God, there’s been so many rumours.” – Adele
- “I will not do festivals. The thought of an audience that big frightens the life out of me.” – Adele
- “I wouldn’t be able to write a song like ‘Someone Like You’ and get someone else to sing it because it’s so personal. It’s like giving away your heart.” – Adele
- “I’d love to be an artist always, but if no one wants me, I’d love to write songs for other people, be a manager, nurture new talent.” – Adele
- “I’m a big personality. I walk into a room, big and tall and loud.” – Adele
- “I’m like Johnny Cash. I only wear black.” – Adele
- “I’m nervous whenever I perform.” – Adele
- “I’m really happy to be me, and I’d like to think people like me more because I’m happy with myself and not because I refuse to conform to anything.” – Adele
- “I’m scared of audiences.” – Adele
- “I’m very confident. Even when I read people saying horrible stuff about my weight.” – Adele
- “I’ve always written down how I feel.” – Adele
- “I’ve been singing properly every day since I was about fifteen or sixteen, and I have never had any problems with my voice, ever. I’ve had a sore throat here and there, had a cold and sung through it, but that day it just went while I was onstage in Paris during a radio show. It was literally like someone had pulled a curtain over it.” – Adele
- “I’ve got some news… I’m delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon.” – Adele
- “I’ve never been more normal than I am now.” – Adele
- “I’ve never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I’m very proud of that.” – Adele
- “If I am constantly working, my relationships fail. So at least now I can have enough time to write a happy record. And be in love and be happy. And then I don’t know what I’ll do. Get married. Have some kids. Plant a nice vegetable patch.” – Adele
- “If I were a writer and not a singer in 10 years, I don’t know how I’d feel about writing really personal songs and getting someone else to sing them.” – Adele
- “In the songs I can still be really really direct but in interviews when I’m explaining my songs I shouldn’t be so direct about who they’re about.” – Adele
- “It has gotten worse as I’m becoming more successful. My nerves. Just because there’s a bit more pressure, and people are expecting a lot more from me.” – Adele
- “It’s warts and all in my songs, and I think that’s why people can relate to them.” – Adele
- “Mum loves me being famous! She is so excited and proud, as she had me so young and couldn’t support me, so I am living her dream, it’s sweeter for both of us. It’s her 40th birthday soon and I’m going to buy her 40 presents.” – Adele
- “My body doesn’t have any rhythm, you know. I’ve got quite good rhythm when I’m singing but my feet are very much two left feet.” – Adele
- “My life is full of drama, and I don’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like.” – Adele
- “My voice went recently, never happened before, off like a tap. I had to sit in silence for nine days, chalkboard around my neck. Like an old-school mime. Like a kid in the naughty corner. Like a Victorian mute.” – Adele
- “My worst fear is my music won’t connect with the public.” – Adele
- “People are starting to go on about my weight but I’m not going to change my size because they don’t like the way I look.” – Adele
- “People say crazy things.” – Adele
- “People think that I popped out of my mother’s womb singing ‘Chasing Pavements’.” – Adele
- “Sometimes my songs wander off a bit and are not always coherent.” – Adele
- “The focus on my appearance has really surprised me. I’ve always been a size 14 to 16, I don’t care about clothes, I’d rather spend my money on cigarettes and booze.” – Adele
- “The thought of someone spending $20 to come and see me and saying, ‘Oh, I prefer the record and she’s completely shattered the illusion’ really upsets me. It’s such a big deal that people come give me their time.” – Adele
- “There is nothing that would upset me more than my dad being bribed by the press. It’s like, ‘Just let them run it, then. Don’t you give them ammunition.’” – Adele
- “There will be no new music until it’s good enough and until I’m ready.” – Adele
- “There’s a fire starting in my heart.” – Adele
- “When the evening shadows and the stars appear, And there is no one there to dry your tears, I could hold you for a million years To make you feel my love.” – Adele
- “You can’t complain about your dressing room or you’ll look like Celine Dion.” – Adele
- “You have to prioritize what you stress about when you have a child.” – Adele
- I love hearing my audience breathe.” – Adele
