Adele, MBE

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE, is a global superstar singer, songwriter and one of the world's best-selling music artists with sales of more than 120 million records.

When I was 7, i wanted to be 8. When I was 8, I wanted to be 12. When I was 12 I just wanted to be 18. Then after that I stopped wanting to be older. Now I'm ticking 16-24 boxes just to see if I can blag it! I feel like I've spent my whole life so far wishing it away. Always wishing I was older, wishing I was somewhere else, wishing I could remember and wishing I could forget too. Wishing I hadn't ruined so many good things because I was scared or bored. Wishing I wasn't so matter of fact all of the time. Wishing I'd gotten to know my great grandmother more, and wishing I didn't know myself so well, because it means I always know what's going to happen in the end. Wishing I hadn't cut my hair off, wishing I was 5'7". Wishing I'd waited and wishing I'd hurried up as well.

After graduating from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a recording contract with XL Recordings.

In 2007, she received the Brit Awards Critics' Choice award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll. 

The way I write my songs is that I have to believe what I'm writing about, and that's why they always end up being so personal - because the kind of artists I like, they convince me, they totally win me over straight away in that thing. Like, Oh my God, this song is totally about me.

Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 to commercial and critical success. It is certified eight times platinum in the UK and three times platinum in the US.

At the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009, Adele received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

In 2011, Adele released her second studio album, 21. 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; two Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year; and three American Music Awards, including Favorite Pop/Rock Album. The album has been certified 17 times platinum in the UK, and is overall the fourth best-selling album in the nation. In the US, it has held the top position longer than any album since 1985, and is certified diamond. The best-selling album worldwide of 2011 and 2012, 21 has sold over 31 million copies!

Beauty comes from within, not from what you wear.

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.

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 Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, as well as 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 went on to become the world's best-selling album of 2015, with 17.4 million copies sold - it has since gone on to sell over 22 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. 

My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record. I'm making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. But I haven't got time to hold on to the crumbs of my past like I used to. What's done is done. Turning 25 was a turning point for me, slap bang in the middle of my twenties. Teetering on the edge of being an old adolescent and a fully-fledged adult, I made the decision to go into becoming who I'm going to be forever without a removal van full of my old junk.

I miss everything about my past, the good and the bad, but only because it won't come back. When I was in it I wanted out! So typical. I'm on about being a teenager, sitting around and chatting shit, not caring about the future because it didn't matter then it does now. The ability to be flippant about everything and there be no consequences. Even following and breaking rules... is better than making the rules.

25 is about getting to know who I've become without realising. And I'm sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened. Love, Adele.

Her 2016–2017 tour, saw her break attendance records in a number of countries, including the UK, Australia, and the US. With sales of more than 120 million records, Adele is one of the world's best-selling music artists.

I love hearing my audience breathe.

She has been described as one of the 100 Greatest Women in Music (VH1) and one of the most influential people in the world (Time Magazine).

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.

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