The Adele Effect

The following essay is by Joseph R. Atilano, an authority on popular music. Mr. Atilano handed me this essay two weeks ago.

A wave of change is approaching the music landscape — a call to get back to basics and to get rid of the excesses. In my opinion, this coming wave is best represented and led by Adele. The way I can describe the music of Adele is to say it is a perfect representation of musical authenticity and identity without going overboard with the theatrics of trying to be too “different” — which theatrics a number of other popular female singers have fallen victims of. No auto-tune, No gimmicks and No accusations of plagiarism have been found in her music. Adele simply relies on two elements - her stunning voice and her well-crafted lyrics. Someone as truly musically gifted as Adele is an absolute gem and a rarity these days. While the majority of the mainstream audience — may have heard of Adele only because of her hit lead single “Rolling in The Deep”, she isn’t a new singer and has a previous album entitled “19” which came out in 2008. This had its second single “Chasing Pavements” which became her first hit not only to gain popularity in the U.K., but also to become an international hit, as well. When I think of Adele’s music, it is unlike any other popular mainstream female artist’s currently. For one, since when has a British soul singer become this relevant and much talked-about even in our own country, while the majority of the listeners are still stuck to the monotonous and messed-up music of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna. In the meantime, Adele was steadily developing a fan base here in the last few years and was also getting noticed by a lot of music critics. Thank to her sophomore album “21” being made available here, she provided listeners with a better option on what to buy and listen to. It raised awareness that there is still genuine music around. It can be ruled that her music displays class and substance after repeated listening to both her albums ‘19’ and her latest effort ‘21’. It can’t be mistaken that she is definitely in the upper echelon of talent based alone on the unique qualities she possesses; it is her VOICE that has the critics praising her and mainstream audiences wanting to hear more of her, while the majority of her female contemporaries in mainstream music would still rely on having a certain look and a lot of external factors that really have nothing to do with making music in the first place. Adele hasn’t gone down the same path and she doesn’t need to. Her music alone speaks for itself and while she isn’t the first British soul singer to garner critical acclaim and become popular internationally, there was in the past other British-soul singers who came before her like Joss Stone, Duffy and the late Amy Winehouse. But by far, she is superior to them in a number of categories. Her achievements alone are evidence of it. Adele has already won two Grammy Awards for best new artist and best female pop vocal performance in 2009. Both her major label releases have gone straight to number one in the U.K. charts. Her sophomore album “21” has peaked to the number one spot in the US BillBoard 200. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards “Critic’s Choice” and was named the number one breakthrough act in numerous polls. Thus far, “21” has been certified 12 times platinum which is record-breaking and the envy of other popular mainstream female singers.

The way I see it, if you have the talent, just continue developing that gift. The appreciation of the mainstream audience has a heavier say in your career than that of others who are filled with envy. But has that affected Adele in any way? From what I have seen and read, it hasn’t. It has only fueled her desire even more to make music that can evoke raw emotion from listeners. Even with all the success she has now, she has stated in a recently published interview that she still gets anxious and worried on how the public will accept her songs. But from what I can see, she has already been embraced by the critics and adored by fans. Anytime you have other popular female artists acknowledging that they have been influenced by your songs, then you already have something great going for you.

The more I listen to Adele’s two albums, the more it has dawned on me that this is the kind of artist that the record industry has lacked for some time now. I personally think it is a positive sign that more and more of the mainstream audience has taken interest in her music. It seems that wherever you go lately, you can hear her hit single being played and others either performing a cover of it in talent shows on television or even being performed in mall shows. I wonder, though, if these performers really understand the meaning of the song and if they really like her music for what it is or are they just going along with a “supposed trend”. Let’s be clear: there is a fine line between trendy music and music that has more substance and authenticity. The music of Adele provides much more needed variety and attention than that of other artists out there. And even if a majority of the local radio stations are starting to play her music only recently, it is still a step forward in the right direction when it comes to providing better music for us listeners. Even without the support of radio stations, I think with the internet alone, we already have all the tools we need to find good music like this. It is because of this that we are made aware of the existence of artists like Adele.

Let us hope this sudden spike of awareness continues. We can only benefit from it in the long run. This is what I mean by the “Adele Effect”. Sometimes it just takes one really gifted artist to open our eyes to what is out there and worth listening to, and it all pays off in the end. I personally think her music can’t be “pigeon-holed” into one category. While there are attempts to strictly classify what kind of genre she truly represents, I think if the music is really that damn good, should it matter what genre she really represents? She has already broken away from the “cookie-cutter” mold of artists. Sometimes to truly appreciate one’s music one must allow one’s individual interpretation of the lyrics in each song. It enables one to think and read between the lines and the meanings one gets behind the lyrics are all based on one’s own level of understanding. I don’t think artists like Adele come along often. The music landscape has become cluttered with disposable songs that only have a few months' shelf-life and will be easily forgotten. This is the exact opposite in this case. Because of Adele, the bar of excellence and sincerity in making music has been set up once again to a higher level. She has met and surpassed all expectations, and has lived up to the hype. To my fellow music aficionados, this is as real as mainstream music can currently be. We are witnessing a resurgence of music in one of its purest forms.