Grade: A
Somewhere in the notes I jotted down while watching the “Adele: Live in London” special is the line: “self-deprecating as hell.”
At one point during the special, which was a combination of sketches, performances and sit-down interview segments, host Graham Norton comments that people don’t get star struck when they meet Adele. The reaction is usually: “Oh, look, it’s Adele!”
Part of this reaction can be attributed to the fact that her fans have grown with her — albums “19,” “21” and “25” have flawlessly documented her personal and professional growth.
Most of the reaction, however, can be attributed to the fact that she brushes off every compliment given to her with a crisp cackle and cock of the head.
Adele: she’s just like us.
She photobombs fans who get to pose with her Oscar. She gets a prosthetic nose and chin to prank other Adele impersonators. She books an hour-long special with Graham Norton on the BBC to celebrate the release of her comeback.
Yet she retains relatability and whimsy with her bubbly personality. People naturally flock to her, and she gives us a million and a half reasons why we continue to do so during her TV special.
Nervous to stage a full return to music following surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal chords back in 2011, she said she knew her hardcore fans would be into her new music (namely, a little ditty known as “Hello”), but she worried more casual listeners wouldn’t be on board.
She said the surgery didn’t affect her voice as much as she had worried it would, although it had widened her range.
She laughed about “Skyfall” — arguably the most popular Bond song in franchise history — and how low the song is because she couldn’t hit the high notes when she was pregnant.
And then, of course, she had to mimic the voice.
She takes questions from the audience with no pretense of being famous or being a celebrity.
Of course by now I’m sure you’ve seen that bit about her performing among a group of Adele impersonators, only to leave them all in tears and bring them to the taping of the special. If you haven’t seen it, you should.
She performs songs from all three of her albums, ranging from “Hometown Glory” to “Million Years Ago” and “Skyfall,” the ultimate Adele Easter egg.
In one of her sit downs with Norton, she addresses motherhood and how it’s changed her life. It’s made her more mature, she says. It’s made her realize what she likes and doesn’t like about herself.
When Norton asks the inevitable, “but how will you keep him grounded when you’re an international superstar?” question, she acknowledges her world is different now, but they’re doing a good job of making life normal for him and will continue to do so. If she can do it, he can.
“My life has changed, I haven’t changed,” she said.
Coming from almost any other artist, a statement like that would seem trite. But from her, it comes off as completely sincere.
And that, Adele, is why we love you.
@hollyvhays
