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MUSIC FEATURE

ADELE HOW DO WE LOVE THEE? LET US COUNT THE WAYS

The eagle has landed – and by 'eagle', we mean the sublime triumph that is English musician Adele's fourth album, 30. As we immerse ourselves in its sounds – inspired by divorce, motherhood, and the unblinking eye of the ever-present media – we've assembled an appropriate number of facts that've made us fall even further for the star with the cheeky accent and the magnificent pipes. Words Zoë Radas

1 Adele’s favourite tea brand is PGTips, and she prepares her cuppa like this: “I like to brew the teabag, add a bit o’ sugar, bit o’ milk, stir it, stir it, stir it, wring it out, and put [the teabag] wherever you want.” 2 Adele managed to keep the name of her son a secret from the media for a whole 94 days. The world knew in October 2012 that she had just given birth, but it wasn’t until the end of January the following year that a papparazzi snap revealed the musician wearing a gold necklace bearing the name ‘Angelo’. Adele divorced Angelo’s father, Simon Konecki, in 2019. 3 Now nine years old, Angelo loves a Sunday roast, but Adele attests his favourite meal is "[a] quarter chicken with coleslaw, rice and chips,” from chain restaurant Nando’s. 4 Adele has credited her US success with the 17 million pairs of eyeballs on her 2008 Saturday Night Live performance. “I knew that a few extra people were turning in because of Sarah Palin, so I definitely sh-t myself,” she's said.

5 Adele spent much of her youth hanging with friends in Brixton’s 50-acre Brockwell Park. "[There are some] quite monumental moments of my life that I've spent there, and I drove past it and I just literally burst into tears,” she said in 2015. “I really missed it.” 6 Before making it big, Adele used to earn 25 pounds for a full day’s work (that’s $45.70 in Aussie bucks) at the River Lea Cafe in Tottenham, her hometown. 7 Louie Armstrong: iconic trumpeter and vocalist, and also the namesake of Adele’s beloved dachshund dog (whom she’s described as the “love of [her] life”). 8 Adele has won 15 Grammy awards from 18 nominations; she’s also made a massive 11 Guinness World Records based on her material’s chart performances, sales, and YouTube views. 9 During the singer's first ever Instagram Live (October this year), she praised a number of fellow artists whose sounds she is digging, including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift,

Doja Cat, Lana Del Rey, Harry Styles and Avril Lavigne. 10 A proud feminist, Adele attended the 2018 LAWomen’s March along with actress buds Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lawrence. 11 The month after she graduated from the BRIT School of Performing Arts, Adele chose September Management to represent her. She based her decision in part on their management of blossoming UK talent Jamie T. 12 In November 2011, Adele received surgery on her vocal cords after suffering a haemorrhage which forced her to cancel part of the 21 (2011) tour. At the time she received chummy support from singer-songwriter John Mayer, who urged her to be patient with the healing process. 13 She made her live comeback three months later at the 2012 Grammy Awards (February 2012), winning all six categories in which she was nominated.

10 DECEMBER 2021

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