2. Adele’s Life
• Adele Laurie Blue Adkins born 5 May 1988
• At 13 blown away by Pink Concert at Braxton
Academy
• Attended BRIT School for Performing Arts
• At first drawn to A&R (Recruiting and
Developing Artists)
3. E arly S ong
• “Hometown Glory” when she was 16
• Round my hometown
Memories are fresh
Round my hometown
Oh the people I’ve met
Are the wonders of my world
I like it in the city when two worlds
collide
You get the people and the
government
Everybody taking different sides
Shows that we aren’t going to take
s....
Shows that we are united
4. “Hometown Glory”- 2007
I've been walking in the same way as I did You get the people and the government
Missing out the cracks in the pavement Everybody taking different sides
And tutting my heel and strutting my feet
"Is there anything I can do for you dear? Is there Shows that we ain't gonna stand s…
anyone I could call?" Shows that we are united
"No and thank you, please Madam. I ain't lost, just Shows that we ain't gonna take it
wandering" Shows that we ain't gonna stand s…
Shows that we are united
Round my hometown
Memories are fresh Round my hometown
Round my hometown Memories are fresh
Ooh the people I've met Round my hometown
Are the wonders of my world Ooh the people I've met
Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of this world Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of my world Are the wonders of my world
Are the wonders of this world
I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque Are the wonders of my world
I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and
shades
I like it in the city when two worlds collide
5. “Someone Like You” - 2011
I heard you settled down
That you found a girl and you’re married
now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you the things I didn’t give
to you
6. “Someone Like You” - 2011
Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain’t like you to hold back or hide from the light
I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited
But I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it
I had hoped you’d see my face and that you’d
be reminded
That for me, it isn’t over
7. Critiquing the Lyrics
• Some object to critiquing song lyrics, do you?
• Do you see possible adultery in these words?
• Is the theme somewhat similar to Whitney Houston’s
old song, “Saving all my love for you.” (“A few stolen
moments is all that we share, You’ve got your family...
I’m last on your list... but tonight is the night... and I’m
saving all my love for you.”)
• There’s lots of adultery in real life. Where does that
leave us?
8. What do we get from the last words of Adele’s song?
“Sometimes it lasts in love,
but sometimes it hurts instead, yeah”
9. Three-fold Significance of
Adele
1. Clean-cut role model
2. Positive self- and body
image
3. Getting over romantic
disappointments
10. 1. From Forbes: “How Adele and (actress) Elle
Fanning Kicked Lindsay Lohan out of the
Picture” 21Oct2011
• “... the ‘bad girl’ image of the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton
and the recently deceased Amy Winehouse is now a thing of the
past. The sex tapes, shoplifting, driving under the influence,
dancing on tables and private parts-baring stunts of recent years
have all been eclipsed by the clean and well-scrubbed images of
the Grammy-winning singer Adele, the sisters Elle and Dakota
Fanning and Hailee Steinfeld.”
• “At the height of the Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie escapades, it
became common among girls to refer to each other as b...hes and
hos.... played out in the demoralizing effect of ... Mean Girls which
starred Lohan. These days scandalous acts... left to Jersey
Shore...” and who’s watching?
11. Now, it’s all about Good Girls
• “Adele is such a good role model for young girls,” says designer
Barbara Tfank who has dressed the singer for various events.
This is part of the reason why she is topping the charts. Her
soulful voice, powerful lyrics, emotional maturity and scandal-
free image add to her allure and drawing power.”
• “The same can be said for the Fanning sisters and Hailee and
Emma Stone. Looking at these girls, you kind of wish there
could be more of them in the entertainment industry.”
(Forbes)
12. From Christian Today: Entertainment
“Could Adele break the sexualization of music today?”
• “A top music executive is hoping that singer Adel’s
phenomenal global success will challenge the sexualized
style of many female artists in the music industry today.
• Richard Russell, founder of Adele’s record label, XL
Recordings, says some female artists have become
“boring, crass, and unoriginal.”
• For instance, Rihanna’s song, “S&M” includes lyrics;
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chain and
whips excite me.”
• Adele is going to make artists and young girls rethink
positive and negative styles.
13. 2. Self- and Body Image:
Girls have seen too much
16. Psychologists are Hopeful Adele’s
acceptance of her Body and Confidence in
her Music will have positive affect
• Girls chosing not to compare their bodies
to impossible and sexy standards
• A lowering of eating disorders
17. And how many, feeling put down or rejected,
need encouragement?
Sometimes it lasts in love, but
sometimes it hurts instead.
18. Questions for reflection and discussion
1. What do you like or not-like about Adele’s voice, music and
life style?
2. How has Adele turned possible negatives in her life into
positives?
3.Do you think she and a few others can have a positive affect
on the music industry?
4.Do you think girls (and perhaps boys) might benefit from the
life-style of artist like Adele and others, in contrast to Lil Kim,
Foxy Brown, Rihanna, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan?
5.Is it possible that Adele’s songs have helped someone through
heartbreaking romantic rejection?
6.How might a person’s faith affect their body-image and self-
confidence, the way they treat sexualization and hanclle
romantic break-ups?
