Adele is one of the biggest things to happen in the music industry in the last five years. Her albums have not only earned her critical acclaim, but also a level of commercial success that has not been surpassed by her peers. Most of us are anxiously awaiting her third album 25, so while we wait, here are 10 things you didn’t know about the British songstress.
10. Teen Mom
Adele’s mother Peggy had her when she was just 18. “She fell pregnant with me when she would have been applying for uni, but chose to have me instead. She never, ever reminds me of that. I try to remember it,” she told The Telegraph.
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9. Smoking
She used to smoke (about 20 cigarettes a day). “I absolutely loved it, but it’s not that f–king cool when I’m dying from a smoking-related illness and my kid is, like, devastated,” she told Rolling Stone magazine.
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8. Her Best Friend
She considers her mom to be her closest friend. “She’s the calmest person, really strong and clever and beautiful. She is so slender, like this Turkish Greek goddess – she’s tan with big black eyes. And she is so easily moved. A real emotional person,” she told Vogue.
Source: bronnysbooks.com
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7. Musically Inclined
As a child, Adele learned play the guitar and clarinet.
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6. Anxiety Ridden
She suffers from stage fright and panic attacks. “I’m scared of audiences,” she told Rolling Stone magazine. “I get sh-tty scared. One show in Amsterdam, I was so nervous I escaped out the fire exit. I’ve thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile-vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it. But I don’t like touring. I have anxiety attacks a lot.”
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5. Alter Ego
She has an alter ego by the name of Sasha Carter, which was inspired by Beyonce’s alter ego Sasha Fierce.
Photo by A.M.P.A.S. / Rex Features
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4. Influences
Some of Adele’s influences include Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys, which her mother turned her onto, but her biggest influence is Etta James. “She was the first time a voice made me stop what I was doing and sit down and listen. It took over my mind and body,” she told Rolling Stone magazine.
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3. Childhood Dream
After the death of her grandfather, a young Adele wanted to be a heart surgeon, but she gave up on that dream after she discovered boys.
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2. Favorite Movie
She loves gangster movies, her favorite being The Godfather.
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1. She Doesn’t Read
The last time she read a book was when she was six and it was Roald Dahl’s Matilda.