Adele

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), better known simply as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Adele was offered a recording contract from XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on MySpace in 2006. The next year she received the Brit Awards "Critics' Choice" award and won the BBC Sound of 2008. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success. The album is certified four times platinum in the UK, and double platinum in the US. Her career in the US was boosted by a Saturday Night Live appearance in late 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Adele released her second album, 21, in early 2011. The album was well received critically and surpassed the success of her debut. 21 helped Adele earn six Grammy Awards in 2012 including Album of the Year, equalling the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. The album has also helped her receive numerous other awards, including two Brit Awards and three American Music Awards. The album has been certified 16 times platinum in the UK in the US the album has held the top position longer than any other album since 1985.
The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book Of World Records. She is the first artist to sell more than 3 million copies of an album in a year in the UK. With her two albums and the first two singles from 21, "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You", Adele became the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964. With her third release from the album, "Set Fire to the Rain", becoming her third number one single in the US, Adele became the first artist in history to lead the Billboard 200 concurrently with three Billboard Hot 100 number ones. Adele is also the first female artist to have three singles in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, and the first female artist to have two albums in the top five of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. 21 is the longest running number one album by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart and is the longest running number one album by a female in Billboard history. In 2011, Billboard named Adele artist of the year. In 2012, Adele was listed at number five on VH1′s 100 Greatest Women In Music, and American magazine Time named Adele one of the most influential people in the world.


Voice and impact


Adele's voice is categorised as contralto. Initially, critics suggested that her vocals were more developed and intriguing than her songwriting, a sentiment with which Adele agreed. 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. Madonna expressed a desire to collaborate with Adele, commenting; "I think she’s brilliant, I love her". J. J. Burnel of The Stranglers is also a fan, stating; "She had me riveted... Of course she's huge and normally that would turn me off because it's too commercial. But I was seriously impressed". Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana has repeatedly praised Adele in interviews. In February 2012, Adele was listed at number five on VH1′s 100 Greatest Women In Music. In April 2012, American magazine Time named Adele one of the 100 most influential people in the world. People named her one of 2012 Most Beautiful at Every Age. On 30 April 2012, a tribute to Adele was held at New York City's (Le) Poisson Rouge called Broadway Sings Adele, starring various Broadway actors such as Matt Doyle.

Discography

• 19 (2008)
• 21 (2011)

Tours

• An Evening with Adele (2008–09)
• Adele Live (2011)

Awards

Adele has won over 77 awards to date, including eight Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, and three American Music Awards.Her first album won her several awards, including Critic's Choice from the Brit Awards, a European Border Breakers Award for Best Album and a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. For Chasing Pavements, Adele received eight nominations, including three from the Grammy Awards (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and one each from the BMI London Awards, the Brit Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MtvU Woodie Awards, and the Q Awards.

source from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_(singer)