How Adele Is Reinventing Pop-Culture | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

How Adele Is Reinventing Pop-Culture

Simple has never looked better

357
How Adele Is Reinventing Pop-Culture
Canvs

Adele’s most recent album, “25”, went down in history as the fastest-selling album in the UK. In its first week it sold 3.38 million copies worldwide. Yeah, that’s a big number, but let me put it in context for you… it’s more than Taylor Swift’s “1989” sold in an entire year.

In a roaring global abundance of flashy, glittery, and racy pop-culture, Adele sparkles with nothing more than her electrifying voice. If you’ve ever seen her perform, you know that she is remarkably minimal on stage, embodying a “less is more” image. I would argue that the most extravagant part of her performances is her pair of thick, black, full-of-personality eyelashes. She is nothing like other pop stars in her category, and she persistently separates herself from the over-glamorized and super-sexualized. Adele has invented a new division in pop-culture.

So what is it that sets Adele so far apart from Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga? It's everything that she doesn’t do. She doesn’t dress provocatively. She doesn’t shimmy, or shake. She doesn’t cue to surprise explosions on stage. In the absence of dramatic and elaborate elements, we get an intimate look at Adele’s natural grace and charm. By keeping her performances simple, she demands attention to the music itself. She displays her music bare—without distractions—and she performs with her voice, not her body.

There is also a welcoming realness about her, even in her onstage presence. Nothing about her strikes us as artificial; she has a refreshing human quality to her. She seems to embrace her imperfections rather than conceal them. She comes across as wiser than her flesh-baring peers, but always humble and almost insecure—which, with a voice like hers, is hard to be. Her natural aura—be it her indifference towards fame, her unfiltered language, or her honesty about body image—is unparalleled in today’s music industry.

What makes Adele even more relatable though, is the kind of experiences her songs are about. Each of her songs plays to the truth that human sadness is always more relatable than human happiness. She writes universal song lyrics that tug at our nostalgia and sentimentality. She has a way of infusing lyrics with depth and emotion that makes us feel like she sympathizes with us in our own tragedies and regrets. Wearing her heartache on her sleeve, she sometimes cries her way through a song, appearing just as vulnerable as us.

There’s a reason Time claims that Adele is “music’s past, present, and future”. It’s because her dignified lyrics and pure talent tell her story, not her outfits or her stage dancers. In every aspect of her work, Adele defies pop-cultural demands and next-best trends. She refuses to become a brand, so don’t expect to see her star in any cheesy films, launch any perfumes, or remix any of her songs with techno beats. She is a singer, and she intends to sing. She will continue to satiate audiences with her soulful music, communicating everything with her voice. Fame will not change her.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

181085
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

8003
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

453048
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23639
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments