1. Ad e le
C h art To p p ing Po p S tar (2 008- )

2. Ad e le ’s Life
• Ad e le Laurie Blue Ad kins b o rn 5 M ay 1 988
• At 1 3 b lo w n aw ay b y Pink C o nce rt at Brax to n
Acad e m y
• Atte nd e d BRIT S ch o o l fo r Pe rfo rm ing Arts
• At first d raw n to A& R (Re cru iting and
D e ve lo p ing Artists)

3. •“H o m e to w n G lo ry” w h e n sh e
Early S o ng
was 1 6
• Ro und m y h o m e to w n
M e m o rie s are fre sh
Ro und m y h o m e to w n
O h the p e o p le I’ve m e t
Are th e w o nd e rs o f m y w o rld
I like it in th e city w h e n tw o
wo rld s co llid e
Yo u g e t th e p e o p le and th e
g o ve rnm e nt
Eve ryb o d y taking d iffe re nt
sid e s
S h o ws th at w e are n’t g o ing to
take s....

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
Shows that we ain't gonna stand s…
there anyone I could call?"
Shows that we are united
" No and thank you, please Madam. I ain't lost,
Shows that we ain't gonna take it
just 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
Are the wonders of my world
opaque
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 h e ard yo u se ttle d d o w n
Th at yo u fo u nd a g irl and yo u’re m arrie d
no w
I h e ard th at yo u r d re am s cam e tru e
G u e ss sh e g ave yo u th e th ing s I d id n’t g ive
to yo u

6. “Someone Like You” - 2011
O ld frie nd , w hy are yo u so sh y?
Ain’t like yo u to h o ld b ack o r h id e fro m th e
lig h t
I h ate to tu rn u p o u t o f the b lu e , u ninvite d
Bu t I co u ld n’t stay aw ay, I co u ld n’t fig h t it
I h ad h o p e d yo u ’d se e m y face and th at yo u’d
b e re m ind e d
Th at fo r m e , it isn’t o ve r

7. Critiquing the Lyrics
• S o m e o b je ct to critiq u ing so ng lyrics, d o yo u ?
• D o yo u se e p o ssib le ad u lte ry in th e se w o rd s?
• Is th e th e m e so m e w h at sim ilar to W h itne y H o u sto n’s
o ld so ng , “S aving all m y lo ve fo r yo u .” (“A fe w sto le n
m o m e nts is all th at w e sh are , Yo u ’ve g o t yo u r fam ily...
I’m last o n yo u r list... b u t to nig h t is the nig h t... and I’m
saving all m y lo ve fo r yo u .”)
• The re ’s lo ts o f ad u lte ry in re al life . W he re d o e s th at
le ave u s?

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. Th re e -fo ld S ig nificance o f
Ad e le
• C le an-cu t ro le m o d e l
2. Po sitive se lf- and b o d y
im ag e
• G e tting o ve r ro m antic
d isap p o intm e nts

10. 1 . Fro m Forbes: “H o w Ad e le and (actre ss)
Elle Fanning Kicke d Lind say Lo h an o u t o f
• “... th e ‘b ad g irl’ im ag e o f th e like s o f Lind say Lo h an,
th e Pictu re ” 2 1 O ct2 01 1
Paris H ilto n and th e re ce ntly d e ce ase d Am y W ine h o u se
is no w a th ing o f th e p ast. Th e se x tap e s, sho p lifting ,
d riving u nd e r th e influ e nce , d ancing o n tab le s and
p rivate p arts-b aring stu nts o f re ce nt ye ars h ave all b e e n
e clip se d b y th e cle an and w e ll-scru b b e d im ag e s o f th e
G ram m y-w inning sing e r Ad e le , th e siste rs Elle and
D ako ta Fanning and H aile e S te infe ld .”
• “At th e h e ig h t o f th e Paris H ilto n and N ico le Richie
e scap ad e s, it b e cam e co m m o n am o ng g irls to re fe r to
e ach o th e r as b ...h e s and h o s.... p laye d o u t in th e
d e m o raliz ing e ffe ct o f ... Mean Girls w h ich starre d
Lo h an. Th e se d ays scand alo u s acts... le ft to Jersey

11. N o w , it’s all ab o u t G o o d G irls
• “Ad e le is su ch a g o o d ro le m o d e l fo r yo u ng g irls,” says
d e sig ne r Barb ara Tfank w h o h as d re sse d th e sing e r fo r
vario u s e ve nts. Th is is p art o f th e re aso n w h y sh e is
to p p ing th e ch arts. H e r so u lfu l vo ice , p o w e rfu l lyrics,
e m o tio nal m atu rity and scand al-fre e im ag e ad d to h e r
allu re and d raw ing p o w e r.”
• “The sam e can b e said fo r th e Fanning siste rs and
H aile e and Em m a S to ne . Lo o king at th e se g irls, yo u
kind o f w ish th e re co u ld b e m o re o f th e m in th e
e nte rtainm e nt ind u stry.” (Forbes)

12. Fro m Christian Today: Ente rtainm e nt
“C o uld Ad e le b re ak th e se x ualiz atio n o f m usic to d ay?”
• “A to p m u sic e x e cu tive is h o p ing that sing e r Ad e l’s
p h e no m e nal g lo b al su cce ss will challe ng e th e
se x u aliz e d style o f m any fe m ale artists in the m u sic
ind u stry to d ay.
• Rich ard Ru sse ll, fo u nd e r o f Ad e le ’s re co rd lab e l, XL
Re co rd ing s, says so m e fe m ale artists h ave b e co m e
“b o ring , crass, and u no rig inal.”
• Fo r instance , Rih anna’s so ng , “S & M ” inclu d e s lyrics;
‘S ticks and sto ne s m ay b re ak m y b o ne s, b u t ch ain and
w h ip s e x cite m e .”
• Ad e le is g o ing to m ake artists and yo u ng g irls re th ink
p o sitive and ne g ative style s.

13. 2 . S e lf- and Bo d y Im ag e :
G irls h ave se e n to o m uch

14. Ad e le

15. Eve n so , Lo o k w hat V0GUE w ill d o

16. Psych o lo g ists are H o p e fu l Ad e le ’s
acce p tance o f he r Bo d y and C o nfid e nce in
he r M u sic w ill h ave p o sitive affe ct
• G irls ch o sing no t to co m p are th e ir b o d ie s
to im p o ssib le and se x y stand ard s
• A lo we ring o f e ating d iso rd e rs

17. And how many, feeling put down or
rejected, need encouragement?
Sometimes it lasts in love, but
sometimes it hurts instead.

18. • W hat d o yo u like o r no t-like ab o u t Ad e le ’s vo ice ,
Questions for reflection and discussion
m u sic and life style ?
2. H o w h as Ad e le tu rne d p o ssib le ne g ative s in h e r life
into p o sitive s?
• D o yo u th ink sh e and a fe w o th e rs can h ave a p o sitive
affe ct o n th e m u sic ind u stry?
• D o yo u th ink g irls (and p e rhap s b o ys) m ig h t b e ne fit
fro m th e life -style o f artist like Ad e le and o th e rs, in
co ntrast to Lil Kim , Fo x y Bro w n, Rih anna, Paris H ilto n
and Lind say Lo h an?
• Is it p o ssib le th at Ad e le ’s so ng s h ave h e lp e d so m e o ne
th ro u g h h e artb re aking ro m antic re je ctio n?
• H o w m ig h t a p e rso n’s faith affe ct th e ir b o d y-im ag e and