Grammy award-winning singer Adele found herself amid racist allegations and controversy during the pandemic. What did she do?
Adele does not need any introduction. And, if you need an introduction of the beloved singer, then, you’re probably living under the rock for the past decades.
One of the world’s best-selling music artists, she grew up around London’s West Indian communities. She soared to success with the release of her debut album, 19, in 2008.
The album was certified triple platinum in the United States and 8× platinum in the United Kingdom.
With her hit-singles Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, and Set Fire to the Rain, she became the first female artist ever to have three top-ten singles as a lead artist in the Billboard Hot 100.
She had mostly stayed out of controversies throughout her career. Thus, it seemed unlikely that she’d be subjected to racist allegations.
However, as unlikely as it seemed, it happened amid the pandemic in 2020. So, what did she do to receive such backlash?
“So, are Adele’s impending traction alopecia Bantu Knots a form of cultural appropriation?”
I had an opinion. https://t.co/gH1WajyYiD
— CEO of Yelling (@ChantayyJayy) September 2, 2020
Fact Check: Adele Racist Allegations And Tweets – What Did She Do?
Yes, Adele was at the center of racist allegations and controversy in 2020.
It all started with Adele’s wish to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival. The festival is about celebrating Jamaican culture and is London’s one of the grand events.
As the world was shut down during the pandemic last year, the singer decided to celebrate it virtually, like every other social event.
Thus, she posted a photo of herself clad in a flag bikini top with her hair styled in Bantu knots. The particular hairstyle was the root cause of the race controversy, as per The Sun.
Bantu knots are a traditional and cultural way of wearing your hair in black communities. So, when non-black people sported the traditional black hairstyle, many netizens took it as a sign of cultural appropriation.
Poppycock! This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival and the tradition of “ dress up” or “ masquerade” Adele was born and raised in Tottenham she gets it more than most. Thank you Adele. Forget the Haters. https://t.co/sabpPPRtID
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 31, 2020
Adele Racist Controversy: Why Were People Upset At The Singer?
Many conservative netizens criticized Adele for sporting Bantu knots, a traditional black hairstyle, being a person of the white community.
People pointed out that it was insensitive of the singer to don the hairstyle in the name of a fashion when black people were still discriminated against for their natural hair.
Previously, other celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Zac Efron, and Gigi Hadid also sparked a similar race controversy due to their style statement, as per Sydney Morning Herald.
Hence, people criticized her as being tone-deaf and said she should’ve known better.
A Twitter user, commenting on her photo, said that the photo ‘officially marks all of the top white women in pop as problematic.’
However, many of the pop star’s fans came to her support. They said that the singer was just trying to appreciate the Jamaican culture as the Notting Hill Carnival is all about celebrating the culture.