A misunderstood Adele

The green-eyed full-figured soul enters our bodies, leaving us breathless as she holds her notes without fear beyond the bounds of creative thought. Who is she? Her sweet howls can be heard all over the world in a shop’s afterhours or within the steel walls of cars stuck in rainy traffic. Under the influence of American country and soul, this Brit falls under much scrutiny- she’s just another radio- brainwashed star standing alongside her contemporaries; the departed Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and Duffy. Characterized by contralto, Adele’s music tends toward piano-led ballads infused by her overwhelmingly huge voice- a voice that exceeds any opposition.

At the 2009 Grammy Awards, singer and songwriter, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She has over 700 million YouTube views. She had two number one hit singles “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You,” that persisted for weeks. Her album 21 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 352,000 copies in its first week and has charted at number one in 17 countries. So what’s her dirty secret? It’s certainly not that she doesn’t have to worry about album titles for the rest of her life, 35, 48, etc.

Critics have coined the term “A-dull,” as her pitch fluctuates mildly along a straight line, and her lyrics tend to be repetitive like a droning voice that endlessly preaches of heartbreak. They fail to see that like a whale, her voice tosses and turns, but it never loses control. She channels her inner strength to create a soulful, deep and meaningful voice. For example, her “We could have had it all!” is an emotional cry that is left imprinted on our sad hearts upon each and every listen.

She’s got more than one story, she’s a songwriter too, nonetheless an inspiring one. Her voice soars on the brink of raw emotion rather than on the “things” we waste our lives pretending really matter. She sports diva-like confidence, wearing heartache on her sleeve. Her music is a means of expression, rather than singing for the sake of singing. Her words move us, in ways far greater than emotional movie montages do. One of those songs, “I’ll Be Waiting,” highlights Adele’s heartbroken resiliency; “I’ll be somebody different,” Adele sings, promising, “I’ll be better to you.” It’s that indispensable humanness that so many people love.

Maybe people are just clinging to the comfort of her distinct sounds during the harshness of this recession. Maybe they can simply relate to the feeling that lies at the epicenter of pain and moving on from it. Maybe they just need a change of scenery from the pop-regulars. Any proposed resolution would fall short of the soft sentiment belched out by the nouveau-riche female solo artist, Adele.