Palin’s presence had turned this episode of Saturday Night Live into a juggernaut of a media event in America. For weeks, one of the show’s witty presenters, Tina Fey, had delighted the nation with her cutting impersonations of Palin. So, when Palin herself agreed to appear on the show, it guaranteed massive attention. What had already been a big slot for Adele became massive. At its peak, the episode was being watched by 17 million Americans, the long-running show’s highest figures for over a decade. So, when Adele sang ‘Cold Shoulder’ and ‘Chasing Pavements’, she could scarcely have got a more high-profile slot. Immediately after the show, 19 began to be downloaded by tens of thousands of viewers. Soon, she was at No 1 in the American download charts. Her album also rose to No 5 at Amazon.com. Meanwhile, ‘Chasing Pavements’ also reached the Top 25. Adele had been fortunate in the way her own campaign collided with Palin’s – but she richly deserved such a stroke of luck.
She had an embarrassing moment backstage, when she mistook Palin herself for Fey. ‘I fucking love Tina Fey and I was, “Tina, Tina”. She didn’t even acknowledge me, she was just completely oblivious,’ recalled a mortified Adele.
Once they did speak, it was all civil enough. ‘She was really nice backstage, but I’m a hundred per cent chuffed to pieces that Obama won,’ said Adele later. ‘I’m not a fan of her – at all.’
Indeed, when Palin had approached Adele, she had been wearing what she described as a ‘massive’ Obama badge. She had wanted to wear the badge as she sang live to the nation. Her manager Dickins was horrified at the prospect of such a divisive gesture at such a delicate point in her American promotional campaign. It was reported that he told her he would cut her hands off if she tried such a controversial move and in the end she didn’t wear it. Generally, Adele herself was against musical artists making statements on events in the wider world. Despite the political lyrics in ‘Hometown Glory’ and the fact that a politician had inadvertently boosted her career in America, Adele was largely content to stay out of contentious current affairs issues. ‘Obviously, I’ve made a few comments here and there in the past, but I don’t think musicians should be talking much about politics,’ she said.
She returned to America several months later, to solidify and build on the popularity she had gained through Saturday Night Live. Tickets for her shows were in major demand – so much so that some changed hands for up to $200. She was in triumphant form as she played shows that were, in every way, bigger than anything she had done in the US before. This time, she was at bigger venues, all of which were jam-packed. She had more musicians with her on-stage, she played longer sets and the audiences sang her words back to her throughout. She kicked off a typical set with a storming rendition of ‘Cold Shoulder’ and finished with ‘Chasing Pavements’. Sandwiched between those songs, those she had performed on Saturday Night Live, were a combination of her own numbers and a few cover versions. The icing on the cake was her chatter and banter. For American fans, her chirpy, cockney voice was irresistible. In a land where many musicians feign indifference on-stage, in the hope of achieving coolness, Adele’s patter was a breath of fresh air. The fans, which one Boston newspaper described as ‘a newly formed American cult’, lapped it all up.
At the end of 2008, Adele could reflect on a remarkable year. So much had changed in her career and in her life in general. So many random, strange things had happened to her along the way. She was asked what the most random moment would be and it turned out to be one of the events on the other side of the Atlantic that most stuck out in that regard. ‘It must have been on Saturday Night Live when Sarah Palin turned up and Alec Baldwin and then Marky Mark – who isn’t really my era, but my mum loves Marky Mark, so I sent her a text, and my aunts love him too,’ she said. ‘The whole year’s been a bit random, the fact that [19 has] done so well, all the time I’m like, What’s going on? It’s a bit bizarre, but I wouldn’t change anything for the world.’ She admitted that the reality of what had happened to her over the year had yet to sink in. ‘I don’t think it ever will. It’s all gone so fast that it’s impossible to notice everything that’s happened, let alone take it all in. I tried to develop a tough skin for a while and kept ignoring everything that was going on, which made me come across a bit confrontational and cocky, I think. But in fact I’m the complete opposite: I couldn’t be happier with what’s happening, but I’m trying not to think about it in case I shit myself.’
The following month, her popularity in the US was confirmed with the breathtaking development that she had won two Grammy awards. Artists often feign surprise or disinterest when they learn they have been nominated for awards. It is a protection mechanism to stop themselves from getting their hopes too high and to play it cool in front of their fans, whatever the outcome. For her part, Adele said she was aware there was a possibility she might be nominated for a Grammy in 2009, but added that she was of the impression that this was a long shot. So she did not even tell her mother ahead of the nomination announcements that she could be in the mix. The evening the nominations were announced, Adele went online to see whose names had been announced. She said she was only looking in order to discover how many categories Leona Lewis had been nominated in.
While she was searching, she received a text message from American celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. He informed her that she had been nominated in three categories. She was still reeling with excitement from that news when her publicist rang. At first Adele assumed the call was to celebrate the news of three nominations, but her caller then informed her she had been nominated in a fourth. ‘I was screaming,’ said Adele. ‘I had to put the phone down. It was the proper death of me. I didn’t think anyone would ever really care until my third or fourth record so I wasn’t bothered that [my label] thought it was a long shot. My manager came over to my house at, like, 4.30 in the morning with a bottle of champagne that I’d bought him in September for his birthday because he’s… cheap.’ It was a jolly and unexpected toasting of some exciting news that had shaken both of them.
The unexpected nominations were for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal. Coldplay and Radiohead were the only UK acts to receive more nominations. ‘It was Adele, Adele, Adele, Adele,’ she recalled. ‘I never thought in my wildest dreams with my first record that I’d be included.’ When she admitted publicly that she did not believe that artists should win a Grammy when they have released only one album, the story was twisted. Soon, headlines were appearing that suggested Adele said she didn’t want a Grammy at all. She clarified her position and added, ‘It’s like [actors who win] an Oscar too soon, it puts a dampener on the rest of their career.’ Duffy, another British nominee, also caused offence when she said that she had only very recently even heard of the Grammys. As for Adele, her shock at her nominations continued for some days. ‘I’m waiting for someone to say, “You mug, we’re only joking!”’ she said the following week.
In February 2009, the shock of the nomination was dwarfed when she went on to win in two of the categories at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
It was the 51st ceremony. Adele looked sensational on the night, as had been expected after it was revealed that Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour had given her style advice for the night. Wintour is a notorious figure, nicknamed ‘Nuclear Wintour’ by some, due to her stern and demanding personality. The film The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep, is said to be largely based on her. Adele had paid a visit to the Vogue office as she was the subject of a photo shoot. While she was there, the legendary Wintour summoned her. ‘It was just like The Devil Wears Prada,’ Adele said, of the conversation in which Wintour offered to style her for the Grammys. ‘I got a really nice dress … I [usually] wear dresses with tights and flat shoes and a cardigan. But I am going to get my boobs out and everything. It’s going to be quite a big deal.’
In fact, Wintour had commissioned designer Barbara Tfank to put together the outfit for the singer. ‘Adele came to my office,’ Tfank r
emembered. ‘We sat down at a table and I said, “Tell me about when you’re on-stage and how you like to feel and how you like to look.” She had this very cool beehive hair from the night before and that inspired me, too.’ Tfank had enjoyed and appreciated the chance to work with Adele and hoped that Wintour’s interest in the singer’s style heralded an increased acceptance of fuller-figured ladies in the world of fashion and style. ‘I think we’re finally coming to a better place of realising that not all people are alike,’ she said.
Meanwhile, the black ensemble was enough to raise appreciative eyebrows when Adele arrived at the Grammys.
She wore a black, reserved 1950s-style dress with the waist nipped in. She looked every bit the winner she was to be that night. Like many of the ladies present that night, Adele worked for her look. ‘Am I having fun? Yeah. But my feet hurt,’ she admitted as she collected one of her awards.
Other Brits to score on the night were Welsh singer Duffy, Estelle, Coldplay, Radiohead and veteran singer Robert Plant. Coldplay had been among the biggest winners of the night, collecting awards in three categories. They were dressed in Sgt Pepper-style Beatles outfits, for which they apologised to Paul McCartney, who was present. The biggest disappointment among British acts was felt by Leona Lewis, who left empty-handed despite having been nominated in three categories. When Adele collected her Best New Artist award, Adele addressed the acts who had been up against her for the gong. She said, ‘Thank you so much. I’m gonna cry… Duffy, I love you, I think you are amazing. Jonas Brothers, I love you as well’.
Given that the Grammys had been criticised for some years for favouring commercial acts over critical successes, Adele’s triumph over the teen pop Jonas Brothers earned the award fresh brownie points among the more discerning viewers. She had earlier also won Best Female Pop Vocal for ‘Chasing Pavements’. Little could anyone watching have known that several tracks on her second album would vocally eclipse her performance on ‘Chasing Pavements’. Better was yet to come for Adele, yet, given how early in her career she had won two Grammys, she could afford to be ecstatic in the moment.
‘Amazing,’ she said. ‘It’s starting to sink in, now I’m talking to people.’ She added that she still felt shocked and that she just wanted to see her mother. Adele had chosen not to take Penny with her in case she did not win anything. Instead, Penny had stayed behind in London, following the proceedings in Adele’s flat. Adele said she had chosen to be there ‘so she can smell me’ and in that sense be closer. ‘I called her afterwards and she was just crying her eyes out.’ Emotional times for mother and daughter. Both might have looked back at the journey that had taken Adele to such prominence and respect in the music industry. But it wasn’t just congratulations – in case Adele got too carried away, her mother was going to help keep her feet on the ground. Penny told her she was not impressed to see her daughter chewing gum as she picked up the Best New Artist gong.
Adele was asked what came next for her. ‘I’m going to go and put my jeans on… and go and have some cigarettes and hang out with my manager and my friends,’ she said. It was a very Adele way to celebrate: she wanted to come back down to earth quickly.
After she had won her two awards, there was still time for one memorable encounter when she bumped into pop star Justin Timberlake. He approached and congratulated her on her success when he saw her backstage. At first, she did not realise who it was. ‘In the hallway after I’d won two Grammys, he grabbed me and he’s like, “Congratulations,”’ she said. ‘I was so totally overwhelmed about the Grammys that I didn’t even realise it was Justin. Then, ten yards down the huge hallway in the Staples Center, I just heard this huge scream and realised I was screaming my head off.’ It had been another unexpected and overwhelming experience for Adele. Her fame and fortune had engulfed her so quickly that she was ill at ease with the A-list circles she could now move in. The fan inside her found it hard to accept that not only were global superstars in her midst, but also that they recognised and respected her. Speaking to People magazine soon after, she directly addressed Timberlake. She apologised for their awkward Grammys encounter and then offered a slightly sycophantic reason for it. ‘Justin, I love you and I’m really sorry … for making it seem like I didn’t want to meet you,’ she said. ‘I really did – and I don’t think we can ever be friends because you’re just too much. You’re too good!’ Naturally, such cute and self-deprecating sentiments only made her more adorable to her fans, old and new.
Adele also kept in touch with Anna Wintour after the Grammys, and was styled again by Tfank for future appearances and promotional commitments. Adele had enjoyed meeting Wintour, who she found far less scary in reality. ‘Anna Wintour was lovely,’ she told Grazia. ‘Nothing like I’d feared before I met her. I was expecting Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Anna was wonderfully articulate and really friendly. She turned me into a lady, and she introduced me to Barbara Tfank who made my Grammys dress and who has continued to make me pieces for videos and shows, and more recently my outfit for the Royal Variety Performance. I felt a bit awkward at first, when I had an Anna Wintour makeover. I couldn’t walk in the shoes so I ended up wandering around the Grammys barefoot. But after a while, the more Barbara and I kept working together, I started to enjoy fashion. Once I’d discovered what I like and what suits me, I’ve kept that look up to an extent.’ The lasting influence that this brush with high fashion is clear: Adele’s style has become more sophisticated and focused since her earlier days.
Her double win at the Grammys increased media attention for her in America. CNN ran a special report about her, introducing her as having a ‘retro soul sound, voluptuous curves and unfiltered opinions that burst out of her mouth in cockney soundbites’.
Adele told them less what she is, and more what she is not. ‘I’m not like, some, like, blonde, skinny, fake-boobed, white teeth, really stupid,’ she said with a giggle. ‘I’m nothing like that, and I think that appeals to people. I hope that I never start looking like a model.’ Proving the report’s assessment of her outspoken nature, Adele said that she ‘hates the paparazzi’, adding ‘I think they’re disgusting,’ before miming a spit on the floor. It was a defiant way of expressing the fury that pushy photographers provoked inside her. Her hatred for them is indeed intense – one day, she popped to the local shop for some bread, milk and cigarettes. This normal, everyday errand took on a surreal dimension when she returned home and found a photographer on her doorstep. She was furious, and told later how she ‘nearly beat the shit out of him’. The threat of a beating from Adele seemed to do the trick. ‘Since then I haven’t had the paparazzi at my house.’ These media intrusions have also come between Adele and people that she had previously considered friends. When Adele found out that some people she knew had colluded with the paparazzi, her reaction was unequivocal and uncompromising. ‘I don’t talk to those people no more,’ she said.
In the wake of the Grammys haul, Adele’s label announced a new set of dates in America. In March she would play in San Diego at the House of Blues and conclude a brief tour later that month in Cleveland. She was also booked to appear at the Roseland Ballroom in New York on 5 May in celebration of her 21st birthday and she announced another date on the west coast of America, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in June. What a domino effect her success was having. A combination of hard work, talent, suitability for the market and the entirely unexpected Palin effect were all taking Adele deep into the heart of many Americans. However, she has not ignored other territories. ‘I want as many people as possible to hear my music,’ she said. ‘I want to do well in Europe, Asia and Australia. It’s so weird to come all this way to do shows and have them sell out. It’s ridiculous and amazing how many people want to talk to me.’
It was amazing for her how many people wanted to talk about her, too. One of these was the singer Estelle, who said that Adele’s tracks could not be considered soul music. ‘I’m not mad at [Adele and Duffy], but I’m wondering – how the hel
l is there not a single black person in the press singing soul?’ Estelle said to the Guardian. ‘Adele ain’t soul. She sounds like she heard some Aretha records once and she’s got a deeper voice – that doesn’t mean she’s soul. That don’t mean nothing to me in the grand scheme of my life as a black person. As a songwriter, I get what they do. As a black person, I’m like: “You’re telling me this is my music? Fuck that!”’ Ironically, this outburst was published just days after Estelle had said she did not want to be involved in commenting on other artists. ‘When people ask me about other singers, I just don’t really – what’s the word – care,’ she said. ‘I’ve been working on my own record for such a long time that I don’t want to take away from it by talking about or dissing other artists.’
Her subsequent comments touched on a theme we shall return to. For now, Adele did her best to ignore Estelle’s reported statement. ‘I don’t really care,’ Adele told Digital Spy in response. ‘I don’t read my press, so I only heard about it, I didn’t read it. It’s an opinion and I like people with an opinion, so if that’s what she thinks then fine. She doesn’t listen to me like Aretha, but you know I didn’t ask her to, so whatever. I’m sure it was a bit misquoted – people always misquote people and I know that, but whatever, I don’t care. I’m doing my thing and she’s doing hers.’
Back at home, Adele’s new single was ‘Make You Feel My Love’ and it reached UK No 4. The cover featured a simple close-up shot of her, looking at the camera through heavily eye-lined eyes from over her shoulder as if to underline how she was becoming an unlikely icon. The video for the song featured a gaffe which was to create a nightmare for its director. Somehow his phone number was included and it duly became an internet sensation. Soon he was receiving thousands of unsolicited calls from pranksters who had spotted the crucial digits. ‘I’ve had more than five thousand calls,’ he said. ‘Some people sing the song down the phone, others shout abuse. It’s making my life a misery.’ It was also a single that once again proved popular on television soundtracks. It featured on British school drama Waterloo Road, as well as American shows One Tree Hill, Ghost Whisperer and Parenthood. It was also used in other dramas including EastEnders and Hollyoaks.
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