Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. She is known for her mezzo-soprano vocal range and emotive songwriting. Her awards include 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

After graduating from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings. Her debut album, "19" (2008), included the UK top-five singles "Chasing Pavements" and "Make You Feel My Love" and became one of the best-selling debut albums in the United Kingdom. She received the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her second studio album, "21" (2011), became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century and remained at number one on the US Billboard 200 for 24 weeks, making it one of the longest-running number-one albums in that chart’s history. Its singles "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain" achieved widespread international chart success. The album received six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

In 2012, Adele released "Skyfall" for the James Bond film "Skyfall". The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her third studio album, "25" (2015), set first-week sales records in the United Kingdom and the United States, becoming the first album in the US to sell more than three million copies in its first week. It received five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. The lead single "Hello" reached number one in multiple countries. Her fourth studio album, "30" (2021), included the single "Easy on Me", which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2023. Both "25" and "30" were among the best-selling albums worldwide in their respective release years.

Adele has sold more than 120 million records worldwide. In the United Kingdom, she has been described as the best-selling female artist of the 21st century, and in the United States she was the best-selling artist of the 2010s. Her albums "21" and "25" were among the highest-selling albums of the 2010s in the UK, and both have been certified Diamond in the United States.

Adele was born in Tottenham, London, to an English mother, Penny Adkins, and a Welsh father, Marc Evans. Her father left the family when she was two years old, and she was raised by her mother. She began singing at the age of four and later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, graduating in 2006. During her childhood she lived in south London and later moved to Brighton with her mother before returning to London.

While studying, Adele recorded a demo that was posted on Myspace, which led to attention from XL Recordings. She signed with the label in 2006 and also signed with September Management. Early in her career she provided guest vocals on recordings and made her television debut in 2007 on "Later... with Jools Holland". Her single "Hometown Glory", originally released in 2007, was later included on her debut album.

"19" was released in 2008 and reached number one in the UK Albums Chart. The single "Chasing Pavements" reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. Adele received the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brit Awards and was named Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 2009. She also performed on "Saturday Night Live" in 2008, which contributed to increased exposure in the United States. Following this appearance, "19" re-entered multiple charts and achieved higher positions.

Her second album, "21", was released in 2011 and was influenced by her personal experiences during the preceding years. It topped charts in more than 30 countries. The singles "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone like You" both reached number one in several markets. After a performance at the Brit Awards in 2011, "Someone like You" reached number one in the UK. Adele became the first living artist since the Beatles to have two singles and two albums simultaneously in the UK top five. The album’s commercial performance included record-breaking sales in multiple regions.

Adele underwent vocal cord surgery in 2011 after a haemorrhage and later resumed performing. A live recording, "Live at the Royal Albert Hall", was released the same year and became a commercial success in the music video category. At the Grammy Awards in 2012, she won six awards, including Album of the Year for "21".

In 2012, she recorded and released "Skyfall", the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. The song achieved commercial success and received several awards, including the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

Adele began work on her third album in the following years. Her album "25" was released in 2015, preceded by the single "Hello", which reached number one in multiple countries and achieved high streaming and sales records. The album broke first-week sales records in both the UK and US. It received multiple awards at the Grammy Awards in 2017.

She toured extensively between 2016 and 2017, including performances in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Several concerts sold out quickly, and some additional dates were added due to demand. She performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2016 to a large audience. In 2017, she completed her world tour with performances at Wembley Stadium.

Adele began work on her fourth album, "30", which was released in 2021. The album included the single "Easy on Me", which reached number one in multiple countries and set streaming records upon release. The album also reached number one in several international charts and was the best-selling album globally in 2021 according to industry reports.

Following its release, Adele announced a concert residency in Las Vegas titled "Weekends with Adele", which began in 2022 after an initial postponement. The residency received positive critical reception and was extended multiple times due to demand. She also performed a series of concerts in Munich in 2024.

In 2024, Adele stated in an interview that she intended to take an indefinite break from music after completing her residency, with no plans for a new album at that time.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele

Studio albums 19 (2008) 21 (2011) 25 (2015) 30 (2021)