What is Adele’s Age, Where is She From and How Old Is She?

Adele is a celebrated British musician who has risen to rank among the biggest stars. She’s a multiple award-winning singer and songwriter and one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 120 million copies of her records over time. Adele became popular even before releasing her second album and so far, she has four albums to her name and has won a total of 15 Grammy Awards. The 34-year-old singer has made a name for herself in the British music industry and beyond.

Adele Was Born 34 Years Ago in North London

She was born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins on the 5th day of May in 1988 to an English mother Penny Adkins and a Welsh father Marks Evans in Tottenham, London. Adele is the only child of her mother who was only 18 at the time of her birth. Her father abandoned the family when she was four years old and so she was raised solely by her mother. The singer grew to become very fond of her mother who always encouraged her in all her endeavors.

Adele regained contact with her father in her teen years but lost it again due to his problems with alcohol. Evans works as a plumber and currently lives in Cardiff, Wales. According to Adele’s mother, she never planned to become pregnant, but as it happened, she had to drop out of college as an art student in order to raise her daughter. Penny has since been a great inspiration and source of support to her daughter, encouraging her to always explore and not stick to one thing. Adele has referenced her mother in a number of her songs such as Hometown Glory, Million Years Ago, Lovesong, etc.

She Studied Performing Arts & Technology in BRIT School

Adele and her mother moved to South London when she was around 10 years old. She enrolled in a school but never liked reading, she rather listened to Spice Girls a lot and also got inspiration from the works of Etta James and Dusty Springfield. Adele managed to finish up her studies and then concentrated on singing. She would spend all her time with her friends in Brockwell Park, singing and playing guitar. After some time, her mother moved her to BRIT School in Croydon where she started studying Performing Arts & Technology in May 2006. This was with the intention to make her have more fun than reading. In her time there, she had Leona Lewis and Jessie J as her classmates. She remains thankful to BRIT School for nurturing her talent and helping her become the star she is today.

Adele Kicked Off Her Singing Career in 2006

According to the singer, there is no music gene in her lineage, she only started growing a passion for music after listening to Ettas and Ellas. Four months after her graduation from BRIT School, she published two songs on the issue of the online publication, PlatformsMagazine.com. Following that, she recorded a three-song demo for a class project which she gave to her friend. The latter posted the project online and it attracted a lot of views. This particular project got Richard Russel, boss of XL Recordings, making an offer to sign Adele. The singer was so excited about this that she even doubted if the offer was real. But after meeting with the manager Jonathan Dickins, she was officially signed to the XL Recordings in September 2006.

As of 2022, Adele Has Four Studio Albums to Her Name

Adele released her debut album 19, named after her age at the time, with two popular lead singles Hometown Glory and Chasing Pavement in October 2007. The song catapulted her to fame by earning her second place on the bestseller list. Hence, she was invited multiple times to share stages with famous artists like Paul McCartney and Björk. Chasing Pavement went on to receive good reviews and led to various media outlets broadcasting her music on different radios and TV stations.

In January 2011, in the UK and on 22nd February in the US, Adele released her second and much-anticipated studio album 21 which was also named after her age. The album turned out to be very successful and she received acclamation for its classic American R&B and jazz style. It became a major hit with some of its singles such as Rolling in the Deep, and Someone Like You. Adele gained worldwide fame after the release of her second album in 2011. According to her, the album was inspired by her breakup with her former partner.

In the same year, she dropped a single Hello which charted on iTunes Single in 85 countries, breaking the record for most Shazams in 24 hours, and the video made the most views on Vevo in 24 hours. In 2012, she composed a theme song Skyfall for the James Bond film of the same name and upon its release, the song became a chartbuster on the UK Singles Chart. The Hometown Glory singer released her third album 25 in November 2015. 25 topped at No.1 on iTunes Album Chart in 77 countries on pre-order sales alone.

By 2018, Adele was said to be working on her fourth studio album 30 which she finally dropped on the 19th of November 2021. Celebrating her birthday in 2019, she posted pictures of herself on Instagram with the caption 30 will be a drum n bass record to spite you all. She previously announced at a friend’s wedding that the album would be out by September 2020 but was however delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, to introduce the album, Adele released a single Easy on Me.

The song broke Spotify and Amazon Music records for one of the biggest streams for a song in a day. It also debuted as number one on the UK singles chart and had the highest first-week sales. Two months after that, she dropped 30. 30 is Adele’s first album to be marketed globally by Columbia Records instead of XL Recordings.

Other Top Songs that Helped to Establish Her in the Music Industry

Below are some of Adele’s songs that turned out very popular and successful, giving her just the popularity she needs in the entertainment industry.

Rolling in the Deep (2011)

Adele wrote Rolling in the Deep just a day after she broke up with her first boyfriend which according to her made her an adult. The hit has continued to strike chords in the hearts of her fans. It spent seven straight weeks at the top of the Hot 100 charts, as well as nineteen weeks at the top spot on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary charts.

Someone Like You (2011)

A single from her album 21, this is Adele’s second track to hit number 1 on the Billboard chart. She said she wrote the song to help her get over a breakup she had with a photographer, Alex Sturrock. Following its release in September 2011, Someone Like You spent five weeks at the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100.

Set Fire to the Rain (2012)

This song is one of the singles in her album 21. Adele explained in a live show that she got the inspiration for the lyrics of the song when her lighter stopped working in the rain. From 4th February 2012, Set Fire to the Rain spent two weeks at the Hot 100 chart.

Hello (2015)

Hello is an epic track that showcased Adele’s sonorous voice on classic popcraft. It was directed by filmmaker Xavier Dolan and featured actor Tristan Wilds as the romantic interest. The music video reportedly became the first to be shot with IMAX cameras. It made history as the first single to receive over 1 million downloads in a week.

By 33, Adele Had Recorded a Lot of Impressive Achievements in Her Singing Career

Currently, the singer holds a total of 15 Grammy Awards and 3 Guinness World Records. She was Billboard’s ‘Artist of the Year’ in 2011 and 2012 as her album 21 topped the US album charts for twenty-three consecutive weeks. 21 sold over 3 million copies in the UK and became the highest-selling album in the 21st century. It also earned her a place as the first artist in the UK to sell more than 3 million albums in just one calendar year. In 2012, the Hello singer came in the sixth position on Forbes’ list of highest-paid celebrities under the age of 30. In the same year, Billboard announced her ‘Rolling in the Deep’ as the biggest crossover hit topping adult pop and adult contemporary charts.

Along with Beyonce, Adele holds the record for the most categories won in a single night at the Grammys. She took home a total of six awards at the 2016 Grammys and five in 2017. The success of 21 earned the singer numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of World Records and she is the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top 10 singles as a lead artist. She was named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by American Time magazine. The English singer has obviously made a successful career out of singing.

Why Are Adele’s Albums Named After Her Age?

Many have been asking why the singer has been numbering her albums and wondering if they actually have something to do with her age at each time. So far, Adele has four albums, 19, 21, 25, and 30. Her albums are usually named after her age at the time of their writing and production. She wrote the material for 19 when she was 19 years old, but it was released in 2008 when she was 20. Some people even went on to accuse her of lying about her age, but the actress addressed this in an interview she granted with Beats1.

Adele explained that her album titles reflect her age at the time of writing them rather than the age she was as of the time of their release. According to her, she is too young to be lying about her age as she is very proud of her age at each time. She further explained that her album titles and her ages never quite coincided, saying I was 20 when I released 19, and 23 when 21 came out. So, each work is meant to serve as a snapshot of her life at that particular age.

However, it seems that she is considering doing away with the system of naming her albums after her age. She said it has not been an intentional decision to name all of her albums after her age.  “I think this will be my last age one. I’m sure I’m wrong with this but I feel there’s been a massive change in me in the last couple of years, I think the next one will probably be called Adele…” 

In an interview she had with Ten News in 2009, the British singer spoke briefly on her second album which she was working on at the time, adding that she is not going to be calling it after her age again. But then, she ended up naming it 21. She later said that it is owing to the fact that a lot happens not just in her career but in her life generally. She still named her third and fourth album after her age but then emphasized that it would be the last time. Let’s cross our fingers and see if she really means it this time.

Quick Facts About Adele

• Surprisingly, the world-famous singer suffers from stage fright and panic attacks, which makes her throw up backstage in worse scenarios.
• She has five tattoos; two on her left wrist, one on each hand, and one behind her left ear.
• Adele was a chronic smoker until 2015 when she quit. She had gone through a throat surgery four years earlier which helped in her decision to quit the habit.
• Adele believes that music should be made for the ears, and not for the eyes. Therefore her plus size doesn’t affect her and she never hopes to get skinny.
• With her millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter put together, you will agree that Adele is a musical force to identify with.
• She is a supporter of MusiCares, a charity set up by the Grammys which helps musicians in need.